University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Women's Soccer Picked 9th in Big South Poll
08.07.2012 | Women's Soccer
CHARLOTTE - The UNC Asheville women's soccer team is a preseason pick to finish in ninth place in the Big South this year according to the league's coaches. The announcement of the preseason poll and preseason All-Conference team came on Monday from the Big South Conference.
Campbell, which looks to win its first Big South Championship since 1993, received four first-place votes and 132 out of a possible 144 points in the voting to finish ahead of defending champion Radford, which totaled six top votes and 130 points from the panel. The Fighting Camels, led by seventh-year head coach Todd Clark, finished the 2011 season as the runner-up in the Big South Women's Soccer Championship as a No. 3 seed. The Fighting Camels posted a 7-1-2 Big South record and a 15-5-2 overall mark during the 2011 campaign.
High Point came in at the No. 3 position with two top bids and 122 points. In fourth was Winthrop with 101 points, followed by new Big South member Longwood at No. 5 with 90 points. Charleston Southern picked up 83 points to land at No. 6 and in seventh was Liberty with 76 points. Coastal Carolina's 65 points was good for the No. 8 slot and at No. 9 was UNC Asheville with 50 points. At No. 10 was Gardner-Webb with 46 points, followed by Presbyterian College with 23 points. VMI closed out the list with 18 points from the panel.
"Last year we were picked last so we're making progress," commented third-year Bulldog coach Michelle Demko. "We hope to finish higher than ninth place this season. Right now we're just concentrating on getting better each day."
The Bulldogs won just one match in 2010 but improved to 4-15-1 in 2012. Asheville came in eighth place last year as it earned three BSC wins. The Bulldogs took top seed and eventual tournament champion Radford to Penalty Kicks before falling, 3-2 in the quarterfinals of the league tourney.
Asheville started preseason practice this past Saturday and plays its first and only exhibition game on Saturday (Aug. 11) at Charlotte starting at 2 p.m.
The Bulldogs open the 2012 season at Eastern Kentucky on Aug. 17 and plays their home opener vs. East Tennessee State on Aug. 19 at 1 p.m.
Asheville begins Big South Conference play at league newcomer Longwood on Sept. 20. The Bulldogs first league match at Greenwood Field is against VMI on Sept. 27.
