If the Peach Belt Conference preseason ranking run true to form, the race for the women’s soccer championship will be as much about instate rivalries as it is about league placement.
The top four slots in the preseason coaches poll are filled by Georgia programs, with Columbus State tapped in at #1 with 111 points.
Even that might cause some pause, as second-place Armstrong Atlantic State University received more first-place votes (5) than did Columbus State (4)[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’]. The Pirates were two points behind the leader with 109 and picked by three coaches to finish fourth in the final fall standings.
North Georgia and Columbus State are #3 and #4, respectively in the poll. North Georgia, with 106 points, was only three points behind the #2 Armstrong Atlantic Pirates.
Columbus State finished second in the 2012 season with an 8-2-1 record, 18-3-2 overall. The Lady Cougars return 13 players from that team, including All-Southeast Region defender Shelby Rolling. Chelsea Person and Kelsey Pelletier return from last year’s front line.
Armstrong made school and conference history a year ago by becoming the first PBC women’s soccer team to be ranked #1 in the nation during regular season play.
Armstrong held that rank for two weeks in November as they won the Peach Belt regular season and tournament championships.
The Pirates reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. Armstrong lost nine seniors from that team, but the talent hasn’t been depleted. Senior midfielder Andye Dawson and sophomore defender Taylor Russell were on the PBC preseason all-conference team.
North Georgia went 15-5-2 a year ago, and 6-3-2 in league play. The Nighthawks scored 15 more goals than the next closest team in the PBC and returns nearly everyone from that squad, including five of their top six goalscorers. That includes midfielder Kelly Penston, who was third in league scoring with 12 goals.
Clayton State won 10 games for the first time since 2006, going 10-7-2 overall. The Lakers return first-team All-PBC Alicia Robinson and sophomore forward Brooke Bortles.
Lander was the #5 team in the preseason poll, and UNC Pembroke and Georgia College tied for sixth. Flagler, Montevallo, USC Aiken, Young Harris and Georgia Southwestern complete the rankings in that order.
The top four slots in the preseason coaches poll are filled by Georgia programs, with Columbus State tapped in at #1 with 111 points.
Even that might cause some pause, as second-place Armstrong Atlantic State University received more first-place votes (5) than did Columbus State (4)[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’]. The Pirates were two points behind the leader with 109 and picked by three coaches to finish fourth in the final fall standings.
North Georgia and Columbus State are #3 and #4, respectively in the poll. North Georgia, with 106 points, was only three points behind the #2 Armstrong Atlantic Pirates.
Columbus State finished second in the 2012 season with an 8-2-1 record, 18-3-2 overall. The Lady Cougars return 13 players from that team, including All-Southeast Region defender Shelby Rolling. Chelsea Person and Kelsey Pelletier return from last year’s front line.
Armstrong made school and conference history a year ago by becoming the first PBC women’s soccer team to be ranked #1 in the nation during regular season play.
Armstrong held that rank for two weeks in November as they won the Peach Belt regular season and tournament championships.
The Pirates reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. Armstrong lost nine seniors from that team, but the talent hasn’t been depleted. Senior midfielder Andye Dawson and sophomore defender Taylor Russell were on the PBC preseason all-conference team.
North Georgia went 15-5-2 a year ago, and 6-3-2 in league play. The Nighthawks scored 15 more goals than the next closest team in the PBC and returns nearly everyone from that squad, including five of their top six goalscorers. That includes midfielder Kelly Penston, who was third in league scoring with 12 goals.
Clayton State won 10 games for the first time since 2006, going 10-7-2 overall. The Lakers return first-team All-PBC Alicia Robinson and sophomore forward Brooke Bortles.
Lander was the #5 team in the preseason poll, and UNC Pembroke and Georgia College tied for sixth. Flagler, Montevallo, USC Aiken, Young Harris and Georgia Southwestern complete the rankings in that order.
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