Aug. 6, 2002

ABILENE, Texas - July 31, 2002

HSU and AC Tabbed Preseason Favorites in ASC Women's Soccer Hardin-Simmons was voted by the league's 13 head coaches to repeat as American Southwest Conference West Division champions in the 2002 ASC Preseason Women's Soccer Poll on Wednesday afternoon.

HSU is the four-time defending ASC West Champion and won the ASC Tournament in 2001. The Cowgirls advanced to the regional finals of the NCAA Championship a year ago. The Cowgirls swept the voting in the West Division earning all six first-place votes. Texas Lutheran and Mary Hardin-Baylor placed second and third and are expected upper-division finishers while Schreiner, McMurry and Concordia-Austin placed fourth through sixth in the coaches voting.

Cowgirl sophomore goalkeeper, Rachel Goold was named West Division Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Goold was last season's West Defensive Freshman of the year and an All-ASC selection.

Three-time defending East Division champion Austin College surpassed East Texas Baptist and the University of Texas at Dallas for top honors in the East. Mississippi College, University of the Ozarks, LeTourneau and Louisiana College rounded out the voting at fourth throuth seventh, respectively.

West Division Preseason Offensive Player of the Year went to Angie Valencia, a sophomore forward at TLU. Valencia was an All-West Division award winner a year ago. Tresy Ross, AC's junior midfielder was chosen as East Division Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Ross was the 2001 East Division Player of the Year and All-East selection. Sophomore defender Jori Herington of ETBU, last season's co-East Offensive Freshman of the Year and an All-ASC selection, was named East Division Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.