August 4, 2000

FURMAN WOMEN¹S SOCCER PICKED TO WIN SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

GREENVILLE, SC -- The Furman women¹s soccer team was picked to repeat as Southern Conference champions by the leagues coaches in a poll released today.

Furman led the league with seven of a possible nine first place votes. Coaches were not able to rank their own team. Last season¹s runner-up Davidson placed second, while 1998 champion UNCG finished third. College of Charleston, an up-and-coming young squad, rounded out the top four.

Furman is coming off its best season in school history as the Lady Paladins won the Southern Conference tournament and went undefeated in the regular season. Furman posted a 20-3 overall record and earned its first ever NCAA Tournament berth last season.

Over the last two years, Furman holds a 22-2 Southern Conference record, with both losses coming in 1998 in overtime contests.

³I am honored that the league coaches picked us first,² said Furman head coach Brian Lee. ³I think we proved last year the type of program we have and now it is time to build on that success. This conference is getting stronger each year and I feel that there are a number of teams that will have good seasons.²

Furman returns nine starters and all seven all-conference picks from last year. They also welcome a strong freshman class, headlined by Emily Turgeon and Danielle Petro. Furman¹s freshman class, which features only two players that were signed to national letters-of-intent, was selected as the 41st best class in the nation by Soccer Buzz.

Furman opens the season August 26 against East Tennessee State at Eugene Stone III Soccer Stadium.

2000 Southern Conference Preseason Poll

• 1. Furman (7) 78
• 2. Davidson (2) 71
• 3. UNC Greensboro (1) 65
• 4. College of Charleston 55
• 5. Georgia Southern 49
• 6. Wofford 42
• 7. Western Carolina 32
• 8. Appalachian State 29
• 9. East Tennessee State 16
• 10. Chattanooga 13

First place votes are in parenthesis