ANDERSON, S.C - Anderson University women's soccer is set to open its 2019 season on Saturday when it hosts Emmanuel, at the Legacy Early College Field in Greenville, S.C., for a 5 p.m. kick-off.
The Trojans finished 7-8-1 overall during the 2018 campaign. Anderson opened the season with a tough nonconference slate, using that experience to reel off four straight wins to open South Atlantic Conference play, finishing with a solid 6-3-1 overall league finish.
Anderson was recently picked to finish eighth in the South Atlantic Conference preseason poll after finishing fourth in regular season play in 2018.
"I was surprised by our low ranking after a fourth place finish last year, said head coach Sarah Jacobs. "Luckily, preseason polls bear no weight, and the low projection gives us some extra motivation and something to work toward. The team is looking forward to the challenge."
Along with the preseason polls, the SAC Conference announced the preseason All-Conference selections. Three Trojans were named on the list, sophomore Maggie Black, junior Kirsten Armetta and senior Bethany Morgan.
Despite losing a large group of seniors following the 2018 season, the Black and Gold have a talented core of returners and the newcomers have been competitive throughout the preseason training portion of the year.
"I am very pleased with the level of fitness and energy that the team brought this year, said Jacobs. "Training sessions have been competitive, and the team has risen to the challenge of matching our expectations of intensity. The freshmen have made an immediate impact and sophomores have used their year of experience to make great improvements. In addition, we have a strong group of juniors and seniors in regards to players and leadership."
"We have a lot of depth and athleticism on this year's squad, added Jacobs. "The team is extremely hard working and competitive. Most importantly, I think we have a great family culture of players who care about each other and want to represent Anderson University well."
