Tuesday, August 7, 2007

TUSCULUM MEN'S SOCCER PICKED SIXTH IN SAC COACHES' POLL

ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum College men's soccer team has been picked to finish sixth in the chase for the South Atlantic Conference Championship according to the 2007 Preseason Coaches' Poll announced league officials Tuesday.

The Pioneers received 25 points in a vote of the conference's eight men's soccer coaches.

Lincoln Memorial University, who advanced to the NCAA Division II national semifinal last year, is the favorite to win the SAC title in the Railsplitters first year eligible for the championship. LMU received five first place votes and 61 total points. Lenoir-Rhyne College picked up the other three first place nods and finished second in the poll with 56 points. Carson-Newman College, who has claimed the last three SAC titles, is picked third with 49 points.

Catawba College is fourth in the poll with 35 points, followed by Wingate University (28), Tusculum, Newberry College (23) and Mars Hill College (11).

The Pioneers, under the direction of head coach Brett Teach, will be fielding a men's soccer team after a one-year hiatus. Teach took over the program this past December after serving the last seven seasons as head coach at Auburn University where he led the Senators to the NAIA National Playoffs in six of the last seven year. During his tenure at AUM, he posted an impressive 139-21-6 record (.855), including three NAIA National Runner-up performances (2000, 2001, 2004) and four trips to the National Final Four and five Elite Eight appearances.

Tusculum will open the 2007 season on Aug. 24 when the Pioneers host Lewis University for a 7 p.m. contest at Pioneer Field.

- SAC -

2007 SAC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rk.	Team (1^st Place Votes)	Pts.
1	Lincoln Memorial (5)	61
2	Lenoir-Rhyne (3)	56
3	Carson-Newman	49
4	Catawba	35
5	Wingate	28
6	TUSCULUM	25
7	Newberry	23
8	Mars Hill	11