FOREST, Va. – With the start of the season merely two days away, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference has released the women’s soccer preseason coaches’ poll. This year, Emory & Henry College finds itself picked to finish eighth out of the 13 teams in the league.

“This ranking is a fair representation of where we have come from,” said third-year Head Coach Linda-Schirmeister-Gess. “We will see at the end of the season if it is a fair representation of where we are.”

E&H welcomes back two All-ODAC performers in senior forward Erica Merriman (Cornelius, N.C.) and sophomore defender Willow Hubbard (Asheville, N.C.), and a total of nine starters from last year’s squad. The Wasps have also brought eight freshmen into the fold, many of whom will challenge for playing time quickly.

“We are glad to have the team back on campus,” Gess added. “This year our biggest goal is to strive for consistency in everything that we do. While we have a few players still battling preseason injuries, it is an exciting time for us.”

Senior forward Bethany Myer (Hickory, N.C.) and junior forward Emily Belanger (Tampa, Fla.) will be key parts to Emory & Henry’s offensive threat this year as Belanger returns from an injury. Sophomore Baylee Dozark (Tampa, Fla.) is also back after an injury last season and along with senior Maddy Guzman (Cleveland, Ohio) the duo will provide a foundation in the midfield on which to build. Junior Maria Byrd (Weber City, Va.) will be another leader along with Hubbard on defense.

The eight freshmen on this year’s team should rival any other recruiting class in program history. The group has a multitude of all-conference, all-region and all-state selections to their credit and will make a big difference on the squad immediately.

“We are incredibly excited for this incoming freshman class as it consists of players from stellar high school and club programs,” continued Gess. “They bring a great deal of athleticism, technical ability and game intelligence to our program. We are looking for them to contribute heavily from the get go and compete for starting spots. Their talent and perseverance will certainly elevate our overall team potential and we are excited for what the season has in store for our program!”

Lynchburg College is picked win its fifth-straight league title this season, earning 10 first place votes. Washington and Lee University is second, earning another final first-place vote while Virginia Wesleyan College was chosen third, garnering two top nods. Roanoke College and Bridgewater College round out the top five.

Emory & Henry will begin the season on Friday, August 29 when it travels to Maryville (Tenn.) College, to take on the Scots at 7:00 p.m. The Wasps will be back in action on Saturday on the Maryville campus when they face off against the Lions of Piedmont College at 1:30 p.m.

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2014 ODAC WOMEN'S SOCCER
PRESEASON POLL

(#) Denotes first-place votes