Lee tabbed GSC Coaches Preseason Favorite
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Birmingham, Ala. — As the Gulf South Conference Women’s Soccer season approaches, Lee, the 2015 GSC Tournament Runner-Up, will enter the season as the preseason favorite, as dubbed by the GSC coaches on Thursday.
Lee paced the GSC last season going 10-2 to top the conference standings and claim a share of the GSC Regular Season Title, with North Alabama, the 2016 GSC Tournament Champion. The Lady Flames went 11-5-4 overall and garnered preseason favorite honors with seven first-place votes. West Florida turned in three first-place votes, while UNA earned the other two. UNA will also enter the 2016 campaign as the lone NSCAA-ranked team, coming in at No. 18 overall. Mississippi College will play in its first season of NCAA Division II and GSC eligibility. Moving one step closer in the NCAA DII reclassification process this summer was Spring Hill, a GSC soccer affiliate. The league is also set to expand in the fall of 2017-18, with the additions of both Auburn-Montgomery and Montevallo, both women’s soccer-playing institutions.
Lee announced Chris Hennessey as full-time head coach this offseason, while Delta State tabbed Luke Sheekey to lead its program. Hennessey led his squad to the GSC Tournament Final last season. Sheekey arrives from the Louisiana Olympic Development Program and Holy Cross High School, where he has spent the last three seasons.
The 2016 Preseason All-GSC Team comprised of 12-total players this year. Leading the charge were Lee, West Florida and North Alabama, all placing three standouts each to the list. West Alabama had two, while Christian Brothers rounded out the honorees, with one. Both halves of the 2015 Co-GSC Freshmen of the Year, UNA’s Kylie Huey (18 points) and CBU’s Melissa Tammi (4 goals) highlighted the field. UWF saw Svenja Burkhardt, Kaley Ward (24 points) and Sara Helgadottir, while UNA also had Shelby Thornton, the GSC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and Beatriz Fernandes. Lee placed McKenzie Bricker, who dished out three assists in the GSC Tournament, Summer Lanter (10 goals) and Kinsey Cichowitz. UWA had Kirsten Reilly, who scored seven game-winning goals last season, and Mara DeLuca.