RICHARDSON, Texas –– Hardin-Simmons University has been predicted to capture its eighth consecutive and 13th overall American Southwest Conference women’s soccer championship, it was announced on Thursday (Aug. 19) by the ASC office after a vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Taking preseason player of the year honors were HSU’s Katie Kuykendall and Sarah Stansell.
Hardin-Simmons, which went 20-2-0 overall (12-0-0 ASC) last season, totaled 389 points and received 25 of the possible 28 first-place votes to be the favorite in the annual preseason poll. Head coach Marcus Wood’s Cowgirls have gone 119 games without losing to an ASC opponent and claimed six consecutive conference regular season crowns. HSU had league-bests of 105 goals and 16 shutouts last year and advanced to the sectionals of the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship.
The University of Texas at Tyler (12-4-1, 10-2-0 ASC) was picked to finish as the runner-up with 358 points and two first-place votes. Mississippi College totaled 307 points to be the choice for third place, while 2002 ASC champion University of Texas at Dallas had 305 points and the final first-place vote to be predicted fourth. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor totaled 299 points to be fifth and East Texas Baptist University had 244 points to round out what would be the league’s six teams to qualify for the ASC Championship Tournament.
Howard Payne (225 pts.) was picked to finish seventh. Texas Lutheran University (192 pts.), LeTourneau University (161 pts.) and Concordia University Texas (141 pts.) rounded out the top 10 spots. University of the Ozarks (126 pts.) was eleventh, followed by Schreiner University (96 pts.), Louisiana College (63 pts.) and McMurry University (34 pts.).
Kuykendall (Weatherford, TX / WHS), a sophomore midfielder, has been named ASC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. She posted a league-high 22 assists and added seven goals en route to being named conference offensive freshman of the year last season.
Stansell (McAllen, TX / MHS), a senior defender, has been selected as ASC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. She spearheaded a unit that allowed just six goals over 22 games and posted a league-high 16 shutouts in 2009.
Kuykendall and Stansell were each first team all-ASC selections last year.
The 2010 ASC season – the 15th in league history – begins as early as September 1. The six-team, single-elimination ASC tournament is slated for November 5-7 at the site of the regular season champion and an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship will be on the line.
2010 ASC PRESEASON WOMEN’S SOCCER POLL
[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors]
|
|
Team (first place votes)
|
Points
|
2009 Record
|
|
1.
|
Hardin-Simmons (25)
|
389
|
20-2-0, 12-0-0 ASC (1st)
|
|
2.
|
Texas-Tyler (2)
|
358
|
12-4-1, 10-2-0 ASC (2nd)
|
|
3.
|
Mississippi College
|
307
|
11-5-3, 9-2-2 ASC (4th)
|
|
4.
|
Texas-Dallas (1)
|
305
|
7-8-6, 7-4-2 ASC (6th)
|
|
5.
|
Mary Hardin-Baylor
|
299
|
12-6-0, 10-3-0 ASC (3rd)
|
|
6.
|
East Texas Baptist
|
244
|
10-7-0, 9-3-0 ASC (5th)
|
|
7.
|
Howard Payne
|
225
|
8-8-2, 6-5-2 ASC (7th)
|
|
8.
|
Texas Lutheran
|
192
|
6-7-3, 4-5-3 ASC (8th)
|
|
9.
|
LeTourneau
|
161
|
7-10-1, 5-7-1 ASC (9th)
|
|
10.
|
Concordia Texas
|
141
|
5-9-3, 3-9-1 ASC (11th)
|
|
11.
|
Ozarks
|
126
|
5-14-0, 4-9-0 ASC (10th)
|
|
12.
|
Schreiner
|
96
|
1-10-3, 1-9-3 ASC (12th)
|
|
13.
|
Louisiana College
|
63
|
1-17-1, 1-11-1 ASC (13th)
|
|
14.
|
McMurry
|
34
|
0-15-1, 0-12-1 ASC (14th)
|
2010 ASC PRESEASON WOMEN’S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors]
|
Offensive
|
Katie Kuykendall, MF, So., Hardin-Simmons
|
|
Defensive
|
Sarah Stansell, D, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
|