Lady Eagles Picked to Win SAC Title

ROCK HILL, SC - The Carson-Newman women's soccer team is the unanimous choice to win the 2009 South Atlantic Conference championship in a vote of the league coaches, the conference office announced Monday.

The Lady Eagles, which won the SAC regular season and tournament titles last year and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, received nine first-place votes and 81 total votes.

Catawba, which advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, is picked to finish second with 62 points. The Indians lost the SAC tournament championship in penalty kicks last year for the third year in a row.

Wingate is the pick to finish third with 55 points, while Lenoir-Rhyne (53 points), Tusculum (46), Lincoln Memorial (42), Newberry (36), Mars Hill (18) and Brevard (12) round out the poll.

The Lady Eagles open the 2009 season at home against King on Aug. 27.

The 2009 Food Lion SAC Women's Soccer Tournament will culminate with the semifinals at the Manchester Meadows soccer stadium in Rock Hill, S.C., Friday, Nov. 6, with the finals on Sunday, Nov. 8.

2009 SAC WOMEN'S SOCCER COACHES POLL
1. Carson-Newman (9) 81
2. Catawba 62
3. Wingate 55
4. Lenoir-Rhyne 53
5. Tusculum 46
6. Lincoln Memorial 42
7. Newberry 36
8. Mars Hill 18
9. Brevard 12
(First place votes in parenthesis)