The Lenoir-Rhyne University Women's Soccer Team was voted by the head coaches to finish second in the 2012 South Atlantic Conference race, league officials announced this morning in the preseason poll. Wingate was picked to win the regular season title after receiving seven first-place votes and 79 total points.  The Bulldogs are coming off a

16-4 campaign in which they won the Food Lion SAC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Division II Playoffs in 2011. L-R looks to build on last year's 17-3-1 mark and perfect 9-0 record in South Atlantic Conference play.
The Bears also won their second straight conference regular season title and advanced to the finals of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament last fall. Lenoir-Rhyne, ranked No. 9 in the 2012 NSCAA NCAA Division II National Preseason Poll, received three first-place votes and had three players earn all-league preseason accolades. Senior midfielder Carley Griffin (Fresno, Calif.) and sophomore midfielder Hanna Kiebel (Parker, Colo.) earned All-SAC Preseason First-Team accolades while senior goalkeeper Caitlin Scruggs (Torrance, Calif.) was named to the all-conference preseason second team.
Griffin, an all-league and all-region honoree in 2011, finished second on the team in goals (11) and third in points scored (25) while Kiebel was named the SAC Freshman Of The Year last season.
Kiebel scored four goals and finished with nine total points and Scruggs tallied a 1.03 goals-against average with 64 saves and six shutouts last year. In 2010, Scruggs earned First-Team All-South Atlantic Conference and All-Southeast Region accolades and is entering her third year as a starter this fall.
Lenoir-Rhyne opens the 2012 season on Friday, August 31, at home against Georgia College at the Moretz Sports - Athletic Complex beginning at 7:30 p.m., as part of its annual Women's Soccer Classic.

2012 South Atlantic Conference
Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Wingate (7) 79
2. Lenoir-Rhye (3) 74
3. Tusculum 65
4. Newberry 48
5. Catawba 45
6t. Anderson 42
6t. Lincoln Memorial 42
8. Mars Hill 26
9. Carson-Newman 20
10. Brevard 9
() indicates first-place votes

2012 All-South Atlantic Conference
Women's Soccer Preseason Teams

FIRST TEAM
Forward
Jessica Kleinberg, Anderson
Tramicka James, Tusculum
A.J. Lightbody, Wingate
Jade Montgomery, Wingate
Midfielder
Carley Griffin, Lenoir-Rhyne
Hanna Kiebel, Lenoir-Rhyne
Monica Perez, Tusculum
Chandler Murphy, Wingate
Defender
Adrienne Lough, Anderson
Grace Lancaster, Mars Hill
Cassie Smith, Newberry
Kelly Moldenhauer, Wingate
Goalkeeper
Kaitlyn Neipp, Anderson

SECOND TEAM
Forward
Krystal Goss, Anderson
Nicole McKinney, Lincoln Memorial
Catherine Watkins-Banks, Mars Hill
Midfielder
Brooke Ehman, Carson-Newman
Savannah Pitt, Lincoln Memorial
Jana Linke, Tusculum
Jamie Bundy, Brevard
Defender
Marissa Johnson, Anderson
Ashley Kleinberg, Anderson
Anna Toole, Catawba
Chelsea Horan, Wingate
Goalkeeper
Caitlin Scruggs, Lenoir-Rhyne

Photo Courtesy: Hanna Kiebel, L-R Athletics