SUWANEE, Ga. - The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference released the 2009 SCAC Women's Soccer Prospectus today. The prospectus includes schedules, standings, statistics and a complete list of previous conference champions. The publication also includes an in depth look and preview of all 11 SCAC women's soccer teams and much more.

The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference is gearing up for what promises to be an exciting year in women’s soccer. Last year Rhodes College won its second conference title in school history – the program’s first since winning the inaugural SCAC women’s soccer title in 1991 – and claimed the league’s automatic berth to the 2008 NCAA tournament. Rhodes was joined in the NCAA championships by Centre College, who received an at-large postseason bid. Though both teams fell in the first round, it was the sixth time in the last 10 years the SCAC has had more than one women’s team earn slots in the NCAA tournament. With a bevy of talent returning in 2009, the conference looks to play a major role in the national championship picture once again.

Rhodes College, which rolls into the 2009 campaign fresh off the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament as well as its highest-ever national ranking (10th), will have a totally new look this season. Last season’s SCAC Coach-of-the-Year, Bobby Lessentine, stepped down to take the head coaching position at Division II University of Missouri-St. Louis. Taking over at the helm in Memphis is former assistant Joe Vari, who returns just three starters from last season’s conference-winning squad. Fortunately for Vari, one of those returnees is senior goalkeeper Becca Clarin who was became the school’s first-ever women’s soccer all-America honoree last season. Returning from off-season knee surgery, Clarin led the SCAC in 2008 in shutouts (8), shutouts per game (0.44), goals against average (0.64) and save percentage (.875).

Centre College is also coming off one of the most storied seasons in school history. The Colonels advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history and posted a school-best seven league victories. Head coach Jay Hoffman enters his sixth season at the helm of the Colonels’ program with a career mark of 50-33-5 (23-19-3 in league play). The going will not be easy in 2009 as Centre has to replace four all-SCAC performers from a year ago – including the school’s first-ever all-America selection in Erin Menard as well as the league’s Tri-Offensive-Player-of-the-Year Allison Terry. Junior Brittany Garr returns as the leader on offense as she filled the stat column with eight goals (seventh in the SCAC) and two assists in 2008 en route to earning all-SCAC third team honors. Three-year starter Rosie McAuley returns in goal for the Colonels after posting four shutouts and a .746 save percentage last season.

Southwestern University comes into the 2009 season after posting back-to-back 13-win seasons – which is the school record for most single-season wins. Second-year head coach Jene’ Baclawski returns four all-conference performers from the 2008 season. Headlining the group is senior forward A.J. Andreola. Andreola was named first team all-SCAC last season after scoring nine goals (third in the SCAC) – three of which were game-winners – to go along with three assists for 21 points (fifth in the SCAC). The Pirates also return three of four starters on a backline that allowed just 13 goals (third in the SCAC) all season and just seven during conference play.

Head coach Lance Key enters his sixth season at the helm of the Trinity University program and owns an impressive career mark of 70-13-8 (37-5-2 in league play). Trinity is coming off a 12-5-1 (6-3-0) season which saw the Tigers miss out on the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2003. Despite what would be considered a sub-par season by Trinity’s standards, the Texas Tigers are poised to make another run to the postseason with the return of nine starters – led by first team all-SCAC selections Danika Wright, Brianna Young, Jordan Azar and Abigail Loar. Wright, a junior midfielder, scored seven goals and added two assists a year ago and was honored as a second team All-South region selection. Young led the Tigers last year in points (18) as she tallied seven goals and four assists, and Azar added four goals and four assists for 12 points. Loar, who last season became the fourth Tiger to be named SCAC-Newcomer-of-the-Year, returns for her sophomore campaign after scoring six goals and recording five assists. With all of this experience combined with six new faces arriving on campus this year, Trinity is ready to get back to the top of the SCAC.

Coming off the program’s most successful season since 2005, Sewanee: The University of the South will see a few changes on the Mountain this season after posting a mark of 10-6-1 (5-4-0 in league play). Head coach Dylan Harrison stepped down in the offseason to take over the head coaching job at Division I Nicholls State University and former assistant Patrick Johnston was appointed to take his place at the helm of the Sewanee program. The Purple Tigers graduated 2008 Tri-SCAC-Player-of-the-Year Evey Gannaway, but the future remains bright with the return of nine starters – including all four members of the backline. Anchoring that backline will be second team all-SCAC performer Kate Willingham. With the loss of Gannaway, Sewanee will look for offensive production from all-SCAC performers junior midfielder Fritsl Butler and sophomore forward Lizzie Butler. Fritsl is a two time all-SCAC performer and scored two goals along with two assists a year ago while Lizzie was fourth in the SCAC in 2008 with nine goals scored.

Austin College, which totaled its most wins since joining the SCAC in 2006 (11), returns to the pitch after its 12th-straight winning season under coach Paul Burns. Even more impressive is that the soccer program has only been around in Sherman, Texas for thirteen years. The ‘Roos return a wealth of experience in 2009 – especially on the defensive side of the ball. Leading that stifling defensive unit is two-year starting goalkeeper junior Kaitlin Elledge. Elledge, who was name to second team All-SCAC as sophomore, allowed just 12 goals while posting a .846 save percentage (fourth in the SCAC) and a 0.82 goals against average (third in the SCAC) – down from the 1.03 GAA she posted her freshman season. Offensively, Austin College returns its top two scorers from a year ago in senior Annie Gunter and sophomore Shelley Casey. Last season, the duo tied for the team lead with five goals apiece.

History was made a year ago in Jackson, Mississippi as the Majors of Millsaps College posted their best season in school history with a record of 13-7-0 (4-5-0 in league play), which included a seven-game winning streak to open the season. Head coach Paul Van Hooydonk enters his seventh season as the head coach and is just one conference win shy of becoming the school’s all-time leader. Millsaps set school records last season in goals scored (44), assists (30), total points (118) and shutouts (9). The Majors return 17 letterwinners, including all-SCAC standouts Leslie Robichaux and Meredith Harris. Robichaux was named second team all conference after posting 10 goals (second in the SCAC) – four of which were game-winners. Harris will anchor the defensive line after earning first team All-SCAC honors last year. She also chipped in on the offensive side with five goals scored.

Last season, DePauw University finished with a losing conference record for the first time since joining the league in 1998. But under head coach John Carter, who is entering his 20th season at the helm of the DePauw program, the Tigers are poised to rebound with the return of 11 letterwinners which includes five starters. Just a few different bounces and a little better luck could help to turn the program’s fortunes around as eight of the team’s 12 losses in 2008 were by only one goal. Junior Julia Drummond was the team’s lone all-conference performer last year and returns after scoring two goals and assisting on another. Sophomore Lauren Hannan is the Tigers’ top returning scorer with seven points on two goals and three assists, while junior Stephanie Patton is the top returning goal scorer after totaling three last year.

Head coach Jim Evans enters his second season at the helm of the Hendrix College Warriors and has assembled his first recruiting class – a class that is filled with a number of skill players. The Warriors are coming off a season that produced the most wins (7) for the program since 2005 as well as the school’s first three-game win streak to open a season since the 2002 campaign. Hendrix will look to its five seniors for guidance on the field. Senior Abby Blaney returns as captain after starting all 17 games last year. She is joined by fell upper classmen Kate Burnett, Blair Sanning, Caitlin McGeehan and Megan Monks.

Alan Woods returns for his sophomore campaign to guide the Oglethorpe University Stormy Petrels after leading the program to five wins in 2008 – a huge improvement over the team’s 0-14-0 mark in 2007. Despite a number of injuries at key positions, Oglethorpe was still able to make an improvement and is looking to continue climbing the SCAC ladder again this year with an influx of new talent and the return of some those key players who were stricken by injury. Returning to lead the Petrels will be senior captain and third team all-SCAC performer Ryanne Arola. Arola scored four goals and assisted on two others from her midfield position. Oglethorpe, which is eying its first winning season since 2000, also returns its top two goal scorers in Lexi Vassell and M.B. Horton who both found the net five times last season.

Birmingham-Southern College returns to the pitch in 2009 after its most successful season since transferring to Division III in 2007. The Panthers posted a record of 11-6-2 – the fourth-highest single-season winning percentage in Birmingham-Southern history. Defensively, Birmingham-Southern will deal with some transition but will count on returning starters Lydia Rice and Jillian Theiber for leadership. On the offensive side of the ball, the Panthers return a great deal of experience. Senior Serena Murphy is back on the field after suffering a season-ending injury 13 games into the 2008 season. At the time she went down, Murphy led the SCAC in both goals scored (8) and assists (7). She will be accompanied by sophomore Alicia Plotky, who had a remarkable freshman campaign. Plotky led the SCAC in both goals scored (11) and points (27). With the addition of some key players mixed with a solid core of retuning experience, Birmingham-Southern seeks continued improvement under third-year head coach Benji Walton.

To view the entire 2009 Women's Soccer Prospectus, click here.