Norcross, Ga. – The Lee University women’s soccer team receives national attention once again with a No. 1 preseason ranking in the NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Lady Flames are also selected by the coaches in the Southern States Athletic Conference to repeat as SSAC champions. Lee has claimed the last six conference titles.

Last season, the Lady Flames went undefeated in league play and captured the regular season and conference tournament titles. This is the third straight season Lee tops the preseason national rankings, tallying 528 total points and 17 of the 22 possible first-place votes.                                                                                                

While claiming its third consecutive national championship, Lee finished 2010 with a 22-2-1 overall record, finishing 7-0 in the SSAC. Lee shut out 14 opponents and ranked first in national statistics with 81 assists and second in total goals with 96. Returning National Player of the Year Jamie Achten is set to lead the Lady Flames. The senior forward tallied 67 goals and 55 assists in her first three seasons. Along with Achten’s ability and leadership, coach Matt Yelton, the back-to-back SSAC Coach of the Year, will rely heavily upon his eight returning starters.                                               

Shorter University (RV) was picked to finish behind Lee in the East Division, followed by Southern Wesleyan University and Truett-McConnell College. William Carey University was picked atop the West after a No. 11 ranking in the NAIA polls released earlier this week. Following WCU in the division is the University of Mobile, picked No. 13 nationally. Auburn University-Montgomery rounds out the NAIA polls at No. 25 and is chosen to finish third in the West.                                                                                                                                                          

This year, 13 teams will compete for the regular season championship and the top eight seeds qualify for the SSAC tournament. The first round of the SSAC tournament begins Saturday, Nov. 5 on the campuses of the top two seeds in each division. The semifinals and championship game will be played at the Sportsplex in Gulfport, Miss., on Thursday, Nov. 10 and Saturday, Nov. 12. The winners of the regular season and postseason tournament receive the automatic bids to the NAIA National Championship.

2011 SSAC Women's Preseason Soccer Poll