Guilford Soccer Ranked in Preseason ODAC Polls

Greensboro, N.C. — Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) soccer coaches picked Guilford College’s women’s team sixth and the Quakers’ men eighth in their annual preseason polls Wednesday. Virginia Wesleyan College owns the top spot in the 12-squad women’s poll by seven points over defending league champion Lynchburg College. Virginia Wesleyan, the defending regular-season ODAC men’s soccer champion, is first in the 11-team rankings by six points over 2007 league-tournament champion Roanoke College.

Guilford’s women received 89 points in the poll, one shy of fifth-place Eastern Mennonite University. Seventh-year head coach Eric Lewis returns 13 letter winners from last year’s 7-12 club, including junior forward Jada Daniel (Charlotte, N.C./Riverdale Baptist (Md.)). Daniel captured Second Team All-ODAC honors last year after scoring a career-high 16 points on a team-best seven goals and two assists. The Quakers, who went 7-4 in league matches last year, open the 2008 season against Emory University and Spelman College this weekend in a tournament hosted by Emory in Atlanta, Ga. Guilford’s home opener is Sept. 10 versus Methodist University at 4:00 p.m.

Jeff Bateson enters his third year as Guilford’s head men’s soccer coach after a 5-13-1 season (2-6-1 ODAC) in 2007. He returns 16 letter winners from and added 12 newcomers from his second recruiting class. Senior forward Scott Meguid (Durham, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons) is back after an all-south 2007 campaign in which he ranked among the league leaders with 21 points on eight goals and five assists. The Quakers fell to Cape Fear Community College, 1-0, in its first of two scheduled scrimmages.

Guilford opens the 2008 season versus Oglethorpe University at Emory University in Atlanta August 29. Guilford meets Emory Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The Quakers play their first home match Sept. 24 at 4:00 p.m. against ODAC favorite Virginia Wesleyan at Haworth Field.

2008 ODAC Women’s Soccer Coaches Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Virginia Wesleyan 134 (6)
2. Lynchburg 127 (4)
3. Roanoke 123 (1)
4. Washington and Lee 119 (1)
5. Eastern Mennonite 90
6. Guilford 89
7. Randolph-Macon 66
8. Bridgewater 58
9. Emory & Henry 57
10. Randolph 28
11. Sweet Briar 23
12. Hollins 22

2008 ODAC Men’s Soccer Coaches Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Virginia Wesleyan 112 (5)
2. Roanoke 106 (3)
3. Hampden-Sydney 101 (3)
4. Lynchburg 87
5. Washington and Lee 86
6. Randolph-Macon 61
7. Eastern Mennonite 54
8. Guilford 48
9. Randolph 27
10. Bridgewater 25
11. Emory & Henry 19