LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Following its ninth-straight league title and competing in the NCAA Tournament for the 23rd time in program history in 2017, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s soccer coaches have once again selected the Trinity Tigers as the preseason favorites for the 2018 SCAC women’s soccer season.
The TU Tigers, who lead the SCAC with 22 women’s titles, earned all eight first-place votes cast by league coaches for 64 total points. Texas Lutheran, which has finished as the SCAC Tournament runners-up three times in the last four years, finished second in the poll with 49 total points, while Schreiner rounded out the top-three in third with 44 points. Southwestern checked in at fourth with 44 points, followed by Centenary (33), Dallas (20), Austin College (16) and Johnson & Wales (15).
Trinity will enter competition this fall under the guidance of head coach, Dylan Harrison. In two seasons at the helm of the Tigers women's soccer program, Harrison has posted a record of 42-3-0 (.933), including a perfect 24-0 in league play and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The TU Tigers return five all-conference performers from 2017, including SCAC Offensive Player of the Year in senior midfielder Chelsea Cole. Cole led the Tigers and conference with 19 goals and six game-winners, earning All-SCAC First Team accolades. Offensively, Trinity returns its top two scorers from a season ago that led the SCAC in goals (108), assists (90) and points (306). Cole along with senior forward Halleanne Dure combined for 35 goals and 13 assists for 83 total points in 2017. Three all-conference defenders in senior Madee Gallagher, junior Kristen Canepa and sophomore Lilah Bevins return to anchor a backfield that allowed just six goals, boasted a 0.29 goals-against-average and produced 17 shutouts a season ago.
The 2018 SCAC women's soccer season begins on August 31st, with several teams competing in early season tournaments, while the first conference matches of the season are scheduled for Friday, September 7th. The 2018 SCAC Women's Soccer Tournament will be held in November on the campus of Austin College as quarterfinal matches will be contested on Friday the 2nd, the semifinal matches on Saturday the 3rd and the championship match being played Sunday the 4th.
| 2018 SCAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll (first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points) |
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| 1. | Trinity University (8) | 64 |
| 2. | Texas Lutheran University | 49 |
| 3. | Schreiner University | 47 |
| 4. | Southwestern University | 44 |
| 5. | Centenary College | 33 |
| 6. | University of Dallas | 20 |
| 7. | Austin College | 16 |
| 8. | Johnson & Wales University (Denver) | 15 |