USC Aiken Picked to Finish 10th in Preseason PBC Coaches Poll

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken women’s soccer team was picked to finish 10th in the Peach Belt Conference by a vote of the league’s head coaches released on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Columbus State was selected unanimously as the preseason favorite in the PBC. The Lady Cougars captured all 10 available first-place votes and are the preseason favorite for the fourth year in a row. GCSU was next in second place while Armstrong Atlantic State was third. UNC Pembroke was fourth, Montevallo fifth, North Georgia sixth, Lander was seventh, Flagler was eighth and Clayton State was ninth. 

Georgia Southwestern was tabbed to finish one spot lower than the Pacers at 11th. Coaches were not permitted to rank their own teams.

The 2009 season will have a different look as the PBC welcomes Flagler and Montevallo. Flagler played as an independent last season while Montevallo finished second in the Gulf South Conference with an 11-6-3 overall record. 

Not a great deal may be expected of USC Aiken from the outside world in the upcoming season, but after a great spring the Pacer women’s soccer coaching staff is excited about the upcoming year.
 
“We had great commitment during the spring,” noted fifth-year head coach Sue Vodicka. “We even for the first time since I have been here had a very high number of players stay on or around campus during the summer to train and get better. The mentality of our team entering the upcoming season is excellent. Everyone understands they have a role and like never before since I have been here the team has banded together.”
 
USC Aiken concluded the 2008 season with a 3-15-2 record. The Pacers begin their 2009 season at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29 against the South Atlantic Conference’s Newberry in Newberry, S.C.

USC Aiken will play their first home and PBC match of the 2009 season at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12 at “Pacer Pit.”

School                                     
1. Columbus State                       
2. GCSU                                     
3. Armstrong Atlantic                 
4. UNC Pembroke                   
5. Montevallo                            
6. North Georgia                   
7. Lander                                     
8. Flagler                                     
9. Clayton State                            
10. USC Aiken                            
11. Georgia Southwestern