CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The High Point University women’s soccer team was picked to finish second in the 2013 Big South Conference preseason poll, the league announced on Monday. HPU, the defending Big South Regular Season Champion, received three first place votes and 123 points overall to finish behind Radford.
Radford received eight first-place votes and 139 out of a possible 144 points in the voting to finish atop the preseason poll. The Highlanders, coached by 17-year head coach Ben Sohrabi, finished the 2012 season with a 14-3-4 overall record and a 7-0-4 record in the Big South.
Winthrop received one first-place vote and finished third in the preseason poll with 113 points. The Eagles were followed by Longwood with 98 points and Coastal Carolina with 97 points. Campbell garnered the No. 6 spot with 92 points and Liberty’s 88 points was good for No. 7. Charleston Southern claimed the No. 8 position with 57 points, ahead of UNC Asheville who collected 49 points. Gardner-Webb checked in at No. 10 with 39 points and at No. 11 was Presbyterian College, who recorded 27 points. VMI rounded out the list with 14 points.
Senior Becca Hemby finished second to Krystyna Freda in the voting for the Big South Preseason Attacking Player of the Year and junior Alise LeCompte finished second to Che’ Brown in the voting for the Big South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Hemby received one top vote and eight points while LeCompte got two top votes and eight points.
High Point returns eight starters from its 2012 Big South Regular Season Championship squad which went 10-6-6 overall and 8-1-2 in the Big South. The Panthers return all five players who earned All-Big South honors last season including first-team selections Hemby and Taylor Parker. HPU also returns four of its top five scorers from last season led by Hemby who had 26 points and tied the High Point Div. I single-season record with 11 goals.
The Panthers open the 2013 season on Friday, Aug. 23, when they travel to Blacksburg, Va., to take on the Hokies of Virginia Tech. The game is set to kick-off at 7 p.m.
2013 Big South Preseason Attacking Player of the Year
Krystyna Freda, Winthrop
2013 Big South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Che’ Brown, Radford
2013 Big South Preseason Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Points Radford (8) 139 High Point (3) 123 Winthrop (1) 113 Longwood 98 Coastal Carolina 97 Campbell 92 Liberty 88 Charleston Southern 57 UNC Asheville 49 Gardner-Webb 39 Presbyterian College 27 VMI 14