August 26, 1998
GREENVILLE, SC -- The Furman women's soccer team is picked to finish second in the Southern Conference in a poll conducted by the Southern Conference coaches.
The Lady Paladins are coming off a record 12-6-2 season and welcome back eight starters from 1997 including All-Southern Conference performers Leah Versteegen, Melissa Sutton, and Diana Poore. "While we are pleased to be selected second in the conference by our peers, our number one goal is to win the Southern Conference and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament," said head coach Brian Lee.
For the first time, the Southern Conference tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. In the past few years, the tournament champion was forced to participate in a play-in match against the Big South Champion. The NCAA voted in July to expand the field from 32 to 48 teams, thus eliminating the play-in match.
Defending league champion UNC Greensboro is the unanimous favorite in the coaches poll. Furman followed as a near unanimous selection for second place.
1998 Southern Conference WomenÕs Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll