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Belton, TX – Fresh off the best season in school history, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women's soccer team is picked to finish fifth in the American Southwest Conference in the league's annual Preseason Coaches Poll. The Lady Cru totaled 299 points in balloting of the league's coaches and sports information directors and trail fourth-place U.T.-Dallas' 305 point total by just six points. The Comets also picked on first-place vote. The fifth place finish matches the highest for the UMHB women in the ASC Preseason Poll since the league went to a single, 14-team league. Defending ASC champion Hardin-Simmons was picked to repeat after picking up 25 of the 28 first-place votes and 389 total points. U.T.-Tyler was picked second with 358 total points and the other first-place vote and Mississippi College was chosen third with 307 total points. East Texas Baptist was picked to finish in sixth place with 244 total points, Howard Payne was picked seventh with 225 total points, Texas Lutheran was the choice in eighth place with 192 total points, LeTourneau University is ninth with 161 total points and Concordia Texas totaled 141 points to round out the top ten. University of the Ozarks is picked 11
th with 126 points, Schreiner University is 12
th with 96 total points, Louisiana College was picked 13
th with 63 points and McMurry University totaled 34 total points for 14
th place.
Hardin-Simmons sophomore midfielder Katie Kuykendall was voted ASC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Hardin-Simmons defender Sarah Stansell took Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors.
The UMHB women return 13 letter winners and seven starters from a team that finished 12-6 overall and 10-3 in ASC play last season. The Lady Cru advanced to the ASC Championship Tournament and won an ASC Tournament match for the first time in school history before falling to Hardin-Simmons in the semifinals. The UMHB women will kick off the 2010 season at home against Southwestern University on September 1st at 4:00 PM.
