NEW ORLEANS - The South Alabama Jaguars, three-time Sun Belt women's soccer regular season and four-time tournament champions, were picked as the favorite to win the 2017 title as voted upon by the league's 11 head coaches.
USA compiled a 15-6-1 overall record a season ago with a 7-3-0 conference mark. The Jaguars clinched their fourth consecutive tournament title in dominating fashion, outscoring opponents 9-0 en route to the crown. It was the first time since 2012 the tournament champion shut out all opponents in the tournament.
The Jaguars earned 109 total points and three first-place votes to earn top honors in the preseason coaches’ poll. Coastal Carolina, the runner-up at last year's championship, was picked to finish second as the Chanticleers tallied 108 points and four first-place votes. The Chanticleers posted 12 wins overall in their first season in the Sun Belt along with a 6-2-2 league mark.
Little Rock posted one of its best seasons in women's soccer as a member of the Sun Belt with a 12-8-1, 6-3-1 campaign a year ago. The 12 overall and six league wins were the most in the program's history. The Trojans were picked to finish third as they received three first-place votes and a total of 106 points. Appalachian State was selected fourth with 84 points and Louisiana, which received the remaining first-place vote, was fifth with 60 points.
Coastal Carolina's Daniella Famili, a senior, was tabbed as the league's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while USA's Hannah Godfrey was chosen as the league's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Famili, a 2016 first team All-South Region and first team All-Sun Belt selection, led the Chanticleers and ranked third in the Sun Belt with nine goals last season. She ranked third in the league in points with 21 and was second in the league in game-winning goals with four. Famili enters her senior season with 21 career goals.
Godfrey, a second-team All-Sun Belt performer last season, started 21 of 22 matches for the Jaguars and logged a team high 2,022 minutes. Godfrey added two goals and an assist for the Jaguars last season and was second among defenders on the USA squad with 18 shots taken. Godfrey was a vital member of a Jaguar defense that ranked first in the Sun Belt in goals against average (0.84) and shutouts (12).
Nine of the 11 student-athletes on the preseason all-conference team were first or second team selections following the 2016 season.
The women’s soccer season begins on Friday, Aug. 18 with all 11 teams getting their campaigns started. The season will conclude on Oct. 22 with the conference tournament scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 5. The championship will be held at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex in Foley, Ala.
Preseason All-Conference Team
* Arola Aparicio (Little Rock, Junior, Forward)
* Daniella Famili (Coastal Carolina, Senior, Forward)
Chardé Hannah (South Alabama, Senior, Forward)
* Rio Hardy (South Alabama, Senior, Forward)
** Quin Wilkes (Little Rock, Senior, Midfielder)
* Sarah Price (Georgia Southern, Senior, Midfielder)
** Danielle Henley (South Alabama, Senior, Midfielder)
** Hannah Godfrey (South Alabama, Junior, Defender)
Steffi Hardy (South Alabama, Senior, Defender)
** Haley Roberson (Troy, Senior, Defender)
** Kelsey Ponder (Arkansas State, Junior, Goalkeeper)
* - denotes 2016 First-Team All-Conference | ** denotes 2016 Second-Team All-Conference
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Daniella Famili (Coastal Carolina, Senior, Forward)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Hannah Godfrey (South Alabama, Junior, Defender)
Women's Soccer Preseason Poll (first-place votes in parentheses)
1. South Alabama (3) - 109 pts
2. Coastal Carolina (4) - 108 pts
3. Little Rock (3) - 106 pts
4. Appalachian State - 84 pts
5. Louisiana (1) - 60 pts
5. Troy - 60 pts
7. Texas State - 52 pts
8. ULM - 44 pts
9. Georgia State - 39 pts
10. Arkansas State - 36 pts
11. Georgia Southern - 28 pts