Wednesday, August 13, 2008

(August 13, 2008) -The East Tennessee State University women's soccer team was picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic Sun Conference preseason poll, by the league's coaches, Wednesday.

Two-time defending champion Kennesaw State took 11 first-place votes, to headline the poll with 121 points, followed by Mercer (100), Florida Gulf Coast (97), ETSU (86), Belmont (72), Stetson (69), UNF (58), Jacksonville (46), Campbell (38), USC Upstate (25) and Lipscomb (20).

"The great thing about our conference is that each team knows they must come out and perform to win each game and earn a spot in the conference tournament," ETSU head coach Heather Henson said.  "Each game marks your path to the conference tournament, which makes each contest very exciting to watch." 

The Bucs have a lot to be excited about heading into the 2008 season, after finishing in fourth place in the A-Sun in 2007. In the process, ETSU made history last year, claiming its first-ever postseason victory after defeating Stetson, 2-0, and advancing to the Atlantic Sun Tournament semifinals. The Bucs return 18 letterwinners from the 2007 team, including two all-conference selections in junior Jordan Monty and sophomore Kelly Brinkman.

"I am pleased to be picked fourth, especially after our success last year," said Henson. "Our goal is to keep moving forward each year in the standings. At the same time I realize how strong this conference is and at the end of the day, it's all about how well you perform on the field that will determine how each team finishes. I think our team realizes how much work goes into a successful season and I believe our team has trained hard to achieve our goals."

The league also announced Wednesday that Monty was named to the 2008 A-Sun preseason all-conference team. The Mesquite, Texas, native finished to the 2007 season ranked fourth among conference members in shots, goals, points and game-winning goals. Monty heads into her junior campaign ranked fourth all-time in ETSU history in goals scored (19) and career points (46).

"I'm excited that Jordan was named to the preseason all conference team," said Henson. "She is one of those players who understands her role and wants to do everything in her power to help the team be successful. It's good to see how the league has noticed her efforts over the past two seasons."

For more information about women's soccer or ETSU athletics visit www.etsubucs.com.