Monday, August 13, 2007

 

TUSCULUM PICKED SECOND IN SAC WOMEN'S SOCCER POLL

 

                ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum College women's soccer team has been picked to finish second in the South Atlantic Conference according to the 2007 Preseason Coaches' Poll announced league officials Monday.  The preseason rankings are selected by a vote of the league's eight women's soccer head coaches.

 

                The Pioneers received 47 total points and a pair of first place votes.  Tusculum returns 10 letter winners and four starters from last year's 14-3-3 squad that won the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Championship and advanced to the national Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

 

                Carson-Newman College is the favorite to win the SAC Championship after receiving four first place votes and 54 total points.  Tusculum is second, followed by Catawba College with 45 points and Newberry College with 41 points and two first place nods.  Lincoln Memorial University is fifth with 40 points, followed by Wingate University (25), Lenoir-Rhyne College (19) and Mars Hill College (17).

 

                Tusculum head coach Mike Joy is entering his 11th season at the helm of the Pioneer women's soccer program.  Joy has guided Tusculum to nine consecutive winning seasons while posting a sizzling 141-54-14 record in his 10 years in Greeneville.  His 227 career wins (over 15 years), are the fourth most in NCAA II history.

 

                Tusculum will open the 2007 regular season on Aug. 23 when it hosts Milligan College for a 7 p.m. match at Pioneer Field.

 

- SAC -

 

2007 SAC Preseason Women's Soccer Coaches' Poll

Rk.

Team (1st Place Votes)

Pts.

1

Carson-Newman (4)

54

2

TUSCULUM (2)

47

3

Catawba

45

4

Newberry (2)

41

5

Lincoln Memorial

40

6

Wingate

25

7

Lenoir-Rhyne

19

8

Mars Hill

17