USA South releases preseason soccer polls

USA South releases preseason soccer polls

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The defending conference champions are the early favorites with the release of the USA South Athletic Conference's preseason soccer polls on Wednesday.

The Methodist University men and the Averett University women lead the coaches' preseason picks. Huntingdon, which is in its first season of competition in the USA South, is ranked ninth in the men's poll and 11th in the women's poll.

The Methodist men were third in the conference during the 2012 regular season but won the conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Monarchs received eight of the 10 first-place votes and totaled 80 points. Greensboro picked up one first-place vote and was second with 68 points. Huntingdon finished with 20 points.

On the women's side, defending conference champion Averett University picked up 12 of the 13 first-place votes and finished with 144 points. Averett won the regular-season championship and the conference tournament championship in 2012. Maryville earned one first-place vote and was second with 131 points. Huntingdon finished with 37 points.

The Huntingdon men open the season on Aug. 30, hosting Warren Wilson at 4 p.m. The Lady Hawks open the season at Faulkner University on Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

The complete polls are below.

 

2013 USA South Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll

1. Methodist (8 first-place votes), 80 points

2. Greensboro (1), 68 points

3. N.C. Wesleyan, 66 points

4. Averett (1), 59 points

5. Covenant, 44 points

6. Maryville, 39 points

7. Ferrum, 37 points

8. Piedmont, 27 points

9. Huntingdon, 20 points

10. LaGrange, 10 points

 

2013 USA South Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll

1. Averett (12 first-place votes), 144 points

2. Maryville (1), 131 points

3. Meredith, 115 points

4. Piedmont, 107 points

5. Covenant, 94 points

6. Greensboro, 92 points

7. Methodist, 78 points.

8. Ferrum, 70 points

9. LaGrange, 59 points

10. N.C. Wesleyan, 48 points

11. Huntingdon, 37 points

12. William Peace, 25 points

13. Mary Baldwin, 14 points