FOREST, Va. - The Emory & Henry College Women's Soccer Team has been picked to finish ninth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference standings, ODAC officials announced Wednesday. The poll is voted on by the 13 head coaches in the league.

Perennial national powerhouse Lynchburg College was first in the voting and received 10 first-place votes. Virginia Wesleyan College is second while Washington and Lee University (two FPV) and Bridgewater College (one FPV) round out the top four.

Emory & Henry is looking to continue to rise up the ODAC standings after putting together a masterful performance over the closing matches of the 2012 season. The Wasps won their final three regular season contests to shore up a berth in the ODAC Tournament for the second-straight year, finishing with a school-record-tying five conference wins (6-11 overall, 5-7 ODAC).

Under second-year Head Coach Linda Schirmeister-Gess, E&H welcomes back 15 players from last year's squad in addition to nine freshmen, who will be called on to contribute early in their careers.

Back this season is sophomore defender Emily Belanger (Tampa, Fla.), who recorded a team-high five goals on the year. Also returning to the midfield are senior Ashlie Caldwell (Blue Ridge, Va.) and junior Erica Merriman (Cornelius, N.C.), scorers of four goals apiece for the Wasps. Senior goalkeeper Sarah Jerome (Charlotte, N.C.) returns after picking up five wins and three shutouts behind 94 saves a year ago.

Among the freshmen for Emory & Henry this season are Maddie Smith (Bristol, Va.), Willow Hubbard (Asheville, N.C.) and Gabby Paspa (Hickory, N.C.). Smith was a three-year All-State Second Team selection at Virginia High School while Hubbard earned All-Region and All-Western N.C. honors four years in a row at Asheville High. Papsa led the Red Tornadoes of Hickory High School to a trio of conference championships and will be counted on for her height in the midfield.

E&H will open the season on the road in the Swat Kick Classic hosted by Swarthmore College and Bryn Mawr College. The Wasps will take on the Bryn Mawr Owls on Saturday at 11:30 a.m., while Sunday's contest against the Garnet of Swarthmore on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

Emory & Henry will have its home opener on Wednesday, September 4 as it host Bluefield College in the confines of Fred Selfe Stadium at 7:30 p.m. The Wasps will enter ODAC play against the Bridgewater College Eagles on Saturday, September 14 at 6:00 p.m.