W&L WOMEN'S SOCCER PICKED THIRD IN ODAC PRESEASON POLL

LEXINGTON, Va. -- The Washington and Lee women's soccer team was picked to finish third in the preseason ODAC Coaches Poll, which was released Wednesday morning.

Lynchburg, who advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals, sits atop the poll with 13 points (11 first-place votes). They are followed by Roanoke (26 points, one first-place vote), W&L (41), Virginia Wesleyan (47), Eastern Mennonite (64), Randolph-Macon (75), Bridgewater (84), Guilford (97), Randolph-Macon Woman's (107) , Emory & Henry (116), Hollins (129) and Sweet Briar (137).

The Generals are coming off a season in which they went 11-4-1 overall and advanced to the ODAC semifinals before falling on penalty-kicks to Roanoke.

W&L brings back plenty of experience, with junior First Team All-ODAC performers Meghan Hayde (Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony) and Fontaine Marcoux (Washington, D.C./Potomac) returning to the mix. Other All-ODAC returnees are senior defender Lindsey Duran (Colleyville, Texas/Fort Worth Country Day), junior midfielder Heather Coleman (Blackwood, N.J./Triton Regional) and sophomore defender Kelly Zagol (Berwyn, Pa./Conestoga).

The Generals open the season on the road with a contest against Virginia Wesleyan on Sept. 7 at 11:00 am. Their first home match is Sept. 14 versus Christopher Newport.

-- GENERALS --