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DU picked to top Sun Belt Conference
Four-time Sun Belt Conference soccer champion Denver is the favorite to claim the 2010 SBC Soccer title, according to a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches, the league office announced on Thursday.
The Pioneers, who will be bidding for their eighth overall soccer title and fifth consecutive tournament title, earned nine of the 12 possible coaches’ votes for a total of 140 points. FIU, which won the 2009 regular season title, earned three votes and picked to finish second in 2010 with 127 points.
WKU, which tied Denver for second in the conference in 2009, was picked to finish third with 118 points followed by North Texas in fourth with 110 points.
Denver, which compiled a 17-6-1 overall record last year, returns seven starters from its tournament team in 2009. The Pioneers will seek its fifth consecutive SBC tournament title having won the title in each of the past four years. DU has won seven SBC tournament titles since the league started sponsoring women’s soccer in 2000.
In addition to the preseason poll, the SBC also released its All-SBC Preseason Soccer team on Thursday.
Nine student-athletes that earned first- or second-team All-SBC honors in 2009 are set to return this season, including reigning SBC Freshman of the Year Kaitlyn Savage of FIU, and the 2010 SBC Preseason Player of the Year Christina Veasley of UALR.
Denver and Middle Tennessee each placed three student-athletes on the list followed by WKU with two.
Fran Howells, Shan Jones, Mallory Outerbridge, Jessie Rogers and Libby Stout have made the All-SBC preseason team each of the past two seasons.
2010 Preseason SBC Poll
1. Denver – 140 pts (9)
2. FIU – 127 pts (3)
3. WKU – 118 pts
4. North Texas – 110
5. Middle Tennessee – 101 pts
6. UALR – 75 pts
7. Arkansas State – 54 pts
9. Florida Atlantic – 53 pts
9. Troy – 53 pts
10. Louisiana-Lafayette – 47 pts
11. South Alabama – 30 pts
12. Louisiana-Monroe – 28 pts
2010 Preseason All-SBC Conference Team
F – Kaitlin Bast (Denver, Sophomore)
F – Shan Jones (Middle Tennessee, Junior)
F – Mallory Outerbridge (WKU, Junior)
F – Christina Veasley (UALR, Junior)
D – Janelle Blake (Florida Atlantic, Senior)
D – Fran Howells (Middle Tennessee, Senior)
D – Jessie Rogers (Denver, Senior)
MF – Bria Beardsley (Denver, Junior)
MF – Vanessa Mueggler (Middle Tennessee, Senior)
MF – April Perry (FIU, Junior)
GK – Libby Stout (WKU, Junior)
2010 Preseason SBC Soccer Player of the Year
Christina Veasley (UALR, Junior, Forward)
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