Four Teams Battle for Third, Separated by Only Six Votes
SALEM, Va. --- Defending league champion
Virginia Wesleyan College received seven first place votes on the
way to 137 overall tallies as the Marlins were picked as narrow
favorites over Washington & Lee University in the 2007 ODAC
Women's Soccer Preseason Poll. The Generals collected the
remaining five first place nods and 133 votes all together.
Third place in the poll is separated by only six votes amongst four
schools. Eastern Mennonite University and Lynchburg College
each garnered 106 votes from the league's coaches with Guilford
College scoring 102 tallies and Roanoke College adding another 100
votes to the competition.
Virginia Wesleyan and Washington & Lee both earned entry into
the 2006 NCAA Division III National Tournament. The Marlins
carried their automatic bid through five postseason contests
including a victory over W&L in the sectional finals that
needed penalty kicks to decide the outcome. Nationally
19th-ranked Virginia Wesleyan squared off against
Wheaton College (Ill.) in the semifinals of the national tourney
and went into the intermission even with the 10th-rated
team in the country, but a pair of early second half goals secured
a 2-0 win for Wheaton.
The Marlins return three All-ODAC first team selections from a
season ago. Seniors Laura Jackson and Missy Kuhns lead the
charge from the offensive end of the field while classmate Ally
Hodgkins and company try to maintain a defense that surrendered
only nine total goals in 2006. Jackson led VWC in scoring
from her midfield position, racking up 23 points on nine goals and
five assists. Kuhns, a striker, starred in a playmaker's role
last season with 10 assists to go with three goals for 16
points. Sophomore striker Danielle Fiedler (7 goals, 2
assists) returns more firepower to the Marlin front line.
Washington & Lee dominated on both sides of the pitch last
season, leading the conference in scoring by nearly a 1.5 goals
(3.7 per game) and allowing only three scores all season. In
conference play, the Generals gave up only one goal which came in
the final regular season contest against Roanoke. Several
stalwarts are set to return including All-ODAC first team
selections Anne Van Devender and Haley Bunting. Van Devender
led the ODAC in scoring with 57 points on 23 goals and 11
assists. The junior striker notched a goal or an assist in 14
of the 22 games in which she played including eight of the first
nine contests of the season. Bunting, a senior defender, and
the return of junior goalkeeper Kiki Moreo (0.16
goals-against-average) and 2006 Rookie of the Year, Maggie
Sutherland, will help the Generals maintain one of the strongest
defenses in the country.
Eastern Mennonite and Lynchburg met in the quarterfinals of the
ODAC tournament last season with EMU proving victorious thanks to
an early first half goal. The Royals return one of the
conference's top scoring options in junior striker Katie
Lamm. Lamm ripped the net 19 times to go along with one
helper for 39 points. Lynchburg returns all three of its top
scorers from a season ago. Seniors Audrey Hamby (9 goals, 2
assists) and Sara Butsavage (4 goals, 5 assists) are joined by
sophomore Ashley Hoath (7 goals, 2 assists) in forming a potent
attacking trio.
The 2007 campaign kicks off on Friday, August 31. The ODAC
Championship is set for Saturday, November 3 at a site to be
determined by the season's outcome.
Listed below is the entire 2007 ODAC Women's Soccer Preseason
Poll. For more information on women's soccer, visit the ODAC
on the Internet at www.odaconline.com or any of the
competing school websites.
2007 ODAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
(#) Denotes first place votes
1. Virginia Wesleyan |
137 (7) |
2. Washington & Lee |
133 (5) |
3. Eastern Mennonite |
106 |
3. Lynchburg |
106 |
5. Guilford |
102 |
6. Roanoke |
100 |
7. Randolph-Macon |
69 |
8. Emory & Henry |
57 |
9. Bridgewater |
51 |
10. Randolph |
29 |
11. Sweet Briar |
24 |
12. Hollins |
22 |