ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum women's soccer team has been picked to finish fifth in the South Atlantic Conference for the 2017 season, the conference office announced Monday. Voting was conducted by the league's 11 head coaches.
Four members of the Pioneers were named preseason All-Conference after helping the team earn a share of the SAC championship last season. Tusculum went 8-2-1 in the conference and 10-5-3 overall to claim their first league title since 2004.
Senior defender Carlie Thornber and junior midfielder Katja Andersson were first-team preseason All-Conference selections, while senior midfielder Cheyenne Upton and sophomore midfielder Sonja Ballmert were second-team choices in voting by the conference's media relations directors.
Thornber, a native of Oshawa, Ontario, is a four-year starter for the Pioneers who tied for the team lead with three goals last season in 15 matches and earned first-team All-SAC honors. Thornber, a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, has scored eight goals in 53 career matches for the Pioneers.
Andersson, who hails from Enstaberga, Sweden, was a first-team All-Conference pick last season after starting all 18 matches for the Pioneers. She recorded two goals and two assists for six points to earn a spot on the All-SAC team for the second year in a row, after claiming second-team status as a freshman. Andersson has eight goals and four assists in 37 career matches for the Pioneers.
Upton, a native of Greeneville, overcame an injury that derailed her sophomore season to start all 18 games a year ago, finishing with a goal and two assists for four points. In 38 career matches, Upton has posted a goal and three assists for five points.
Ballmert stepped into the starting lineup as a freshman and captured honorable mention All-SAC honors after registering two goals and three assists for seven points. The native of Frankfurt, Germany started all 18 matches for the Pioneers and ranked second on the team with 1,406 minutes played.
Carson-Newman, who shared the SAC championship with Tusculum and Lenoir-Rhyne before winning the tournament title as well, received eight of 11 first-place votes and 103 points to grab the top spot in the SAC poll. Lenoir-Rhyne had the other two first-place votes and 86 points to rank second, followed by Wingate (81 points), Queens (70) and Tusculum (64) in the top five.
The rest of the conference rankings included Anderson in sixth place with 53 points, followed by Catawba (49 points), Newberry (35), Lincoln Memorial (33), Coker (17) and Mars Hill (14).
The Pioneers open their 2017 season on Friday, Sept. 1 at 8 p.m. on the road against the University of West Alabama. Tusculum's home opener is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. at Pioneer Field against Tennessee Wesleyan.
2017 SAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
Rk School (1st) Pts
1. Carson-Newman (8) 103
2. Lenoir-Rhyne (2) 86
3. Wingate 81
4. Queens (1) 70
5. TUSCULUM 64
6. Anderson 53
7. Catawba 49
8. Newberry 35
9. Lincoln Memorial 33
10. Coker 17
11. Mars Hill 14
Preseason All-League
First Team All-Conference
F – Lauren Wade, Carson-Newman
F – Holly Talbut-Smith, Carson-Newman
F – Alyssa Ortega, Newberry
F – Thea Mallett, Queens
MF – Abigael McGarel, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Charlotte Ring, Queens
MF – Breona Tate, Mars Hill
MF – Katja Andersson, Tusculum
D – Helen Seed, Carson-Newman
D – Helen Ramsey, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Mariah Lewis, Queens
D – Carlie Thornber, Tusculum
GK – Jacqueline Burns, Carson-Newman
Second Team All-Conference
F – Kimmi Moore, Wingate
F – Hannah Van Eerden, Lenoir-Rhyne
F – Becky Frost, Catawba
F – Taylor Leyble, Wingate
MF – Colleen Zickert, Wingate
MF – Sonja Ballmert, Tusculum
MF – Lara Hallgrimsdottir, Carson-Newman
MF – Cheyenne Upton, Tusculum
D – Averi Williams, Carson-Newman
D – Katilyn Fletcher, Wingate
D – Christina Shimshock, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Alex Brandan, Carson-Newman
GK – Alexis Jones, Wingate