Two Lions Named Preseason All-SAC

MARS HILL, N.C.-The Mars Hill women's soccer team was voted by the South Atlantic Conference women's soccer coaches to finish eighth in the league's 2012 preseason poll, which was released Wednesday. Two Lions earned preseason All-Conference recognition.

Defender Grace Lancaster was named First Team Preseason All-SAC, while forward Catherine Watkins-Banks earned second team recognition. Mars Hill is coming off a season in which it finished 7-10-1 overall. A 2-7 conference mark placed the Lions 9th in the SAC.

Last season, Lancaster was named Second Team All-SAC. She had a goal and an assist, starting 17 games in her freshman campaign.

Watkins-Banks led the team with four goals last season, three of which were game-winners. She was named the SAC Women's Soccer Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 20-26, 2011.

The Lions will open the season on Aug. 30 when they host Converse College at 7:30 p.m. Mars Hill opens conference play on Sept. 14 with a home contest against Lincoln Memorial.

Wingate was voted number one in the preseason poll. The Bulldogs went 16-4 overall last season and won the 2011 Food Lion SAC Soccer Championship. Five Wingate players were named to the preseason All-SAC team.

Defending SAC regular-season champion Lenoir-Rhyne finished was second in the preseason poll. The Bears were 9-0 in league play and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last season. L-R placed three student-athletes on the preseason All-SAC team.

Tusculum was voted third in the preseason poll and had three student-athletes named to the preseason All-SAC Team. Pioneer forward Tramicka James returns after leading the conference in goals and points in 2011.

The Poineers were followed in the preseason poll by No. 4 Newberry and No. 5 Catawba. Both teams had one player selected to the preseason All-SAC Team, including Newberry first-team forward Cassie Smith, who had the second-highest assist total in the league last year.

Anderson and Lincoln Memorial tied for No. 6 in the preseason poll, and AU led the conference with six preseason All-SAC selections. LMU, meanwhile, placed two on the preseason All-SAC Second Team.

Mars Hill was picked No. 8 in the poll, followed by No. 9 Carson-Newman.

Brevard rounded out the preseason poll at No. 10, and had one All-SAC Second Team selection.

2012 SAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll

Team Points (1st-place votes)
1. Wingate 79 (7)
2. Lenoir-Rhyne 74 (3)
3. Tusculum 65
4. Newberry 48
5. Catawba 45
6. Anderson 42
Lincoln Memorial 42
8. Mars Hill 26
9. CarBroson-Newman 20
10. Brevard 9

2012 SAC Women's Soccer Preseason All-SAC

(Position- Name, School)
First Team
F- Jessica Kleinberg, Anderson
F- Tramicka James, Tusculum
F- AJ Lightbody, Wingate
F- Jade Montgomery, Wingate
MF- Carley Griffin, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF- Hanna Keibel, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF- Monica Perez, Tusculum
MF- Chandler Murphy, Wingate
D- Adrienne Lough, Anderson
D- Grace Lancaster, Mars Hill
D- Cassie Smith, Newberry
D- Kelly Moldenhauer, Wingate
GK- Kaitlyn Neipp, Anderson

Second Team
F- Krystal Goss, Anderson
F- Nicole McKinney, Lincoln Memorial
F- Catherine Watkins-Banks, Mars Hill
MF- Brooke Ehman, Carson-Newman
MF- Savannah Pitt, Lincoln Memorial
MF- Jana Linke, Tusculum
MF- Jamie Bundy, Brevard
D- Marissa Johnson, Anderson
D- Ashley Kleinberg, Anderson
D- Anna Toole, Catawba
D- Chelsea Horan, Wingate
GK- Caitlin Scruggs, Lenoir-Rhyne