Rock Hill, S.C.----The Wingate University women’s soccer team has been picked to finish third by the league’s coaches in the preseason SAC poll released Thursday afternoon. In addition, the Bulldogs had three players earn preseason All-SAC honors. Junior defender Megan Mastalerz (Elkridge, Md.) earned first team honors, while senior forward Kerstin Williams (Summerville, S.C.) and junior forward Kelly Adams (Matthews, N.C.) were second team selections.

The Bulldogs went 11-4-3 in 2009, finishing 4-3-1 in the SAC. Tusculum College, the regular season runner-up in 2009, is the preseason favorite to win the regular season title in 2010, receiving seven of 10 first-place votes. Defending champion Carson-Newman College received a pair of first-place votes and is picked to finish second. The Bulldogs are picked third, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne and Newberry.

Mastalerz helped anchor a Wingate defense that finished second in the league, allowing only 0.70 goals per game. The Bulldogs were third in the conference with nine shutouts on the year. Mastalerz notched a goal and an assist in the 2009 season.

Adams led the Bulldogs with nine goals, nine assists and 27 points on the year. She led the SAC with 0.53 assists per game, while ranking fourth in the league in points and seventh in goals. Williams tied for the team lead with nine goals, good for seventh in the conference.

Wingate opens the 2010 season Saturday, Sept. 4, hosting Lander University at 4 p.m. The Bulldogs open conference play Saturday, Sept. 18, traveling to Mars Hill College for a 4 p.m. game. The ‘Dogs SAC home opener is Saturday, Sept. 25, hosting Tusculum College at 2 p.m.

The league’s top eight teams will advance to the 2010 Food Lion SAC Women’s Soccer Tournament. Quarterfinal play will be Tuesday, November 2 on campus sites, with winners advancing to the semifinals at the Manchester Meadows soccer stadium in Rock Hill, S.C., Friday, November 5, with the finals on Sunday, November 7. 

(Wingate University assistant sports information director Hugh Patton wrote this article. Patton is a 2006 Wingate graduate with a B.A. degree in Communication Studies.)

2010 SAC WOMEN’S SOCCER COACHES POLL
1. Tusculum (7) 97
2. Carson-Newman (2) 79
3. Wingate 75
4. Lenoir-Rhyne (1) 67
5. Newberry 65
6. Catawba 61
7. Lincoln Memorial 41
8. Brevard 23
9. Anderson 22
10. Mars Hill 20
(First place votes in parenthesis)

2010 WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON ALL-SAC

FIRST TEAM
Forward - Trenna Howell, Carson-Newman
Forward - Elizabeth Hawes, Lenoir-Rhyne
Forward - Laura Linehan, Lenoir-Rhyne
Forward – Tramika James, Tusculum
Midfielder - Andrea Saevik, Carson-Newman
Midfielder – Morgan Gruenenfelder, Carson-Newman
Midfielder – Leanne Reid, Lincoln Memorial
Midfielder - Courtney Turner, Tusculum
Defender - Melissa Morris, Carson-Newman
Defender - Alexa Baird, Catawba
Defender - Catherine Hauck, Lenoir-Rhyne
Defender - Megan Mastalerz, Wingate
Goalkeeper - Emily Rhoades, Newberry

SECOND TEAM
Forward – Jessica Kleinburg, Anderson
Forward – Becky Thompson, Lincoln Memorial
Forward - Kelly Adams, Wingate
Forward - Kerstin Williams, Wingate
Midfielder - Katie Gair, Catawba
Midfielder – Andrea Dunshie, Catawba
Midfielder – Sarah Taylor, Lincoln Memorial
Midfielder – Amberly Fowler, Newberry
Midfielder – Michelle Meade, Tusculum
Defender – Marisa DiMarco, Catawba
Defender - Raquel Abrile, Lincoln Memorial
Defender – Megan Douglas, Newberry
Defender – Claire Duncan, Tusculum
Goalkeeper – Lindsay Webster, Catawba