Murray State University Athletics
Soccer Picked Fourth in OVC Preseason Poll
8/4/2011 11:33:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Murray State soccer has been selected to finish fourth in the upcoming 2011 Ohio Valley Conference soccer season in voting conducted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors, the conference announced Thursday.
The Racers, looking to rebound from a 4-11-4 season in 2010 with a sixth place finish of 3-3-2 in the OVC, received 94 points. Morehead State, the 2010 and 2009 OVC regular season champions and 2010 OVC Championship winner, picked up 12 of 20 possible first place votes with 154 total points. Southeast Missouri followed in second with 134 points and one first place vote with Austin Peay receiving the remaining five first place votes with 133 points.
UT Martin sits four points behind the Racers in fifth with 90 points as Eastern Kentucky was chosen for sixth place with 88. Eastern Illinois received 81 points in seventh place and SIU Edwardsville, competing in its OVC season, was predicted to finish in eighth with 67 points. Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State rounded out the league in ninth and 10th, respectively, with 37 and 22 points each.
Sixth year head coach Beth Acreman brings back eight players from last year's squad, including senior Sophie Hargreaves, who paced the Racers last year with six goals and three assists. Second-leading scorer sophomore Shauna Wicker, who netted three goals a season ago, also returns. They will be joined by 12 newcomers, a group that includes 10 freshmen and a junior and senior transfer.
Murray State kicks off the 2011 regular season with a pair of neutral site games at Western Kentucky against Ball State and Western Carolina Aug. 19 & 21. The Racers first home games of the season follow the next weekend with games against Troy Aug. 25 and Bellarmine Aug. 27. MSU opens conference play at home, hosting UT Martin Sept. 23.
