Aug. 19, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s soccer team was picked to finish fourth in the Eastern division of the 2009 SEC preseason poll, the conference office announced Wednesday. The Gamecocks are coming off an 11-7-4 record in 2008 with a third place finish in the East with a 5-4-2 record.

South Carolina returns 10 starters and lost only one senior from the 2008 squad that advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. Senior defender Blakely Mattern and sophomore forward Kayla Grimsley were named to the 11-player Preseason All-SEC team last week after both earned All-SEC honors last season.

Florida was selected as the favorite to claim the 2009 women’s soccer title in the poll voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches. In the East, Georgia and Tennessee were selected behind Florida with Vanderbilt picked to finish fifth and Kentucky picked sixth. LSU was favored to win the Western Division with eight first-place votes followed by Auburn with four first place votes. Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi State round out selections three thru six in the division, respectively.

South Carolina opens its season Friday, August. 21 with an exhibition match against the Mexican National Team at the MESA Soccer Complex in Greenville, S.C. The Gamecocks begin the regular season at home against College of Charleston on Thursday, Aug. 27th, the first game between the in-state rivals since the 2002 season.

Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)

SEC Champion: Florida (11); Auburn (1)