SFA Picked To Win Southland Conference
8/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
FRISCO, Texas - The three-time defending Southland Conference champion Stephen F. Austin women's soccer team was picked to win the 2014 regular-season crown in polls conducted by the league's coaches and sports information directors, the conference office announced Thursday.
The Ladyjacks are coming off a impressive 2013 season in which they posted a 10-1-1 conference mark and finished 16-3-3 overall, claiming the first-ever three-peat in Southland history. SFA returns eight starters to a team that won its eighth overall league crown, the most by any program in SLC history.
The Ladyjacks received 11 first-place votes from the coaches and nine first-place nods from the SIDs to earn a total of 121 points in the coaches' poll and 119 in the SID poll.
Last season, the stout SFA defense led the league in goals allowed (12) and shutouts (14) while offense ranked fourth in goals (44) and assists (28). The Ladyjacks, who at one time led the nation in both respective statistical categories, ended the season ranked ninth nationally with a .636 shutout percentage and 10th nationally with a .520 goals against average.
SFA, coming off its second annual Purple vs. White scrimmage/Meet & Beat, will have one more tune-up before opening the regular season on Friday, Aug. 22. The Ladyjacks will host Rice in a 7:00 p.m. exhibition on Friday at the SFA Soccer Field.
Coaches' Poll
Team (First-Place Votes), Points
1. Stephen F. Austin (11), 121
2. Southeastern Louisiana (1), 110
3. Sam Houston State, 89
4. Abilene Christian, 83
5. Nicholls, 71
6. Central Arkansas, 69
7. Houston Baptist, 62
8. Lamar, 57
9. Northwestern State, 55
10. UIW, 31
11. McNeese State, 30
12. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 14
SID Poll
Team (First-Place Votes), Points
1. Stephen F. Austin (9), 119
2. Southeastern Louisiana (3), 111
3. Nicholls, 89
4. Sam Houston State, 87
5. Abilene Christian, 77
6. Central Arkansas, 67
7. Northwestern State, 60
8. Lamar, 56
9. Houston Baptist, 43
10. McNeese State, 36
11. UIW, 30
12. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 17
-SFA-
