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UNC Greensboro women’s soccer picked to repeat as conference champions
SPARTANBURG, SC – Reigning regular-season and conference tournament champion UNC Greensboro has been chosen to claim the Southern Conference title again this season in voting by the league's 11 head coaches, the league office announced Wednesday.
Receiving eight of the possible 11 first-place votes, UNCG nabbed the top spot followed by Furman, Davidson, Western Carolina, College of Charleston, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Elon, Wofford, Chattanooga, and The Citadel respectively.
In addition to the championship nod, four UNCG student-athletes were named to the preseason all-conference team. UNCG is represented by Karla Davis, Katherine Ryan, Kelly Attayek, and Jen Bronson.
Davis, a senior from Monroe, NC, was named to the first team All-Southern Conference squad last year. Last season, Davis collected two goals and nine assists for 13 points and ended the season tied for second in the league in assists.
Ryan, a Pittsboro, NC, native, comes into her senior year as a 2006 All-Southern Conference second team selection and a member of the 2006 SoCon All-Tournament Team. Ryan currently holds the top spot in the conference with five shutouts. Her season-high eight shutouts was the best in the league and put her in a tie for fourth on the school’s single-season list.
Attayek, a second-year member of the Spartan women’s soccer squad and native of Raleigh, NC, landed an All-Southern Conference second team selection in her rookie season. She led the team in shots (62) and her seven goals - including two game-winners - and four assists put her at 18 points for the season.
Bronson, a sophomore from Raleigh, NC, was one of two Spartans to start all 23 games last year. Following a 14-point season with five goals and four assists, she was named the Southern Conference Co-Freshman of the Year.
In addition to the SoCon top nod, UNCG is ranked 13th in the Southeast region according to the SoccerBuzz.com 2007 preseason rankings. The Spartans are grouped along with SoccerBuzz.com 2007 Preseason National Top 30 picks North Carolina (1), Florida (7), Florida State (8), Duke (22), and Clemson (28). Following last year’s 13-8-2 overall, 9-0-1 SoCon record, UNCG was in the No. 12 spot regionally.
AGATE
2007 Women’s Soccer Pre-season Poll
1. UNC Greensboro
(8)
98
2. Furman
(2)
86
3. Davidson
(1)
80
4. Western
Carolina
74
5. College of
Charleston
68
6. Appalachian
State
57
7. Georgia
Southern
43
8.
Elon
39
9.
Wofford
28
10.
Chattanooga
22
11. The
Citadel
10
*Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team.
2007 Women’s Soccer Pre-season All-Conference
F Kristen
Koehrn, Davidson
F Anna Betton, Furman
F Ashley Toussaint,
Georgia Southern
F Kelly Attayek,
UNC Greensboro
MF Gena Villari, Furman
MF Jennifer Bronson, UNC
Greensboro
MF Karla Davis, UNC Greensboro
MF Heather Dittmer, Western
Carolina
D Danielle Jordan, College of
Charleston
D Nancy Haskell, Davidson
D Mickey Palanza, Furman
GK Katherine Ryan, UNC
Greensboro
SoccerBuzz Southeast Region Poll
RANK
SCHOOL
2006 RECORD FINAL 2006 RANK
1
North
Carolina
27-1
1
2
Florida
14-5-5
5
3
Florida
State
18-4-4
2
4
Duke
9-8-4
6
5
Clemson
11-8-5
4
6
South
Carolina
11-6-5
8
7
Wake
Forest
16-6-1
3
8
Georgia
10-8
15
9
Auburn
11-6-3
7
10
Charlotte
13-5-2
10
11
UNC
Wilminton
13-6
9
12
Miami
FL
8-9-1
NR
13
UNC
Greensboro
13-8-2
12
14
East
Carolina
10-8-2
RV
15
Central
Florida
11-6-2
RV
- UNCG -
