HPU WSOC Picked Fifth in Big South, Reagan Named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The High Point University women’s soccer team has been picked fifth in the Big South Preseason Poll, the conference announced Monday (Aug. 5). In addition, senior defender Allie Reagan has been selected as the Big South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

The Panthers earned 80 points in the preseason poll, voted on by the conference’s head coaches. Radford was picked to win the conference with 113 points, including five first-place votes. Gardner-Webb (103 points, four first-place votes) was voted second, followed by Longwood (101, 2) and Campbell (84).

Reagan is the second Panther in three seasons to be voted the Women’s Soccer Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. A 2017 All-Conference selection and 2018 All-Tournament Team honoree, Reagan appeared in all but one of the Panthers’ 19 games in 2018 with 18 starts. She played a team-high 1,553 minutes with 12 complete games in all — including all 110 minutes in a shutout of Elon, all 90 minutes in a shutout win over James Madison, and all 110 minutes in a shutout draw with Campbell.

The Panthers finished in eighth place in the Big South standings in 2018. HPU secured five shutouts on the way to a 5-10-4 record, while rising sophomore Skyler Prillaman earned Freshman of the Year honors and a was First-Team All-Conference selection.

HPU opens the 2019 campaign with an exhibition game against Charlotte on Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. at Vert Stadium. The Panthers’ first regular season game is on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. against VCU at Vert Stadium.

2019 BIG SOUTH PRESEASON WOMEN’S SOCCER POLL

Rk - School (first-place votes)    Points
 1 - Radford (5)                    113
 2 - Gardner-Webb (4)               103
 3 - Longwood (2)                   101
 4 - Campbell                        84
 5 - High Point                      80
 6 - USC Upstate                     61
 7 - Charleston Southern             58
 8 - Winthrop                        53
 9 - Presbyterian College            37
10 - UNC Asheville                   24
11 - Hampton                         12

Note: points are based on a weighted system, with first-place votes receiving 11 points, followed by 10 points for second-place, and so on.