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University of Houston Athletics
Houston Picked to Finish Sixth in Conference
8/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Aug. 16, 2002
Marquette, which has made three consecutive NCAA appearances and won three Conference USA titles in the league's short history, has been selected to win the 2002 regular season title in a vote taken by the league's 14 head coaches. Golden Eagles forward Kate Gordon, who scored nine goals with four assists in 2001, has been chosen to win her second straight Player of the Year award.
Marquette, which has finished first or second in five of the last six seasons, welcomes back 10 returning starters and 20 letterwinners this fall. Included are three preseason All-Conference selections. Joining Gordon is junior midfielder Kristen Jensen and senior D Anne Dalecky, the Conference's Co-Defensive Player of the Year last season.
Perennial NCAA contender Cincinnati, which became the first C-USA team to advance to the third round of the NCAA's in 2001, was chosen second this preseason. The defending regular season and tournament champion Bearcats placed a pair of players on the preseason all-league team: sophomore MF/D Tasha Wagner and senior D Heather Herweh.
Charlotte, host of the 2002 Conference USA Tournament, was selected third, just ahead of UAB. The 49ers return five all conference performers from a squad that went 7-2-1 in C-USA last season. UAB improved its win total by eight games in 2001 and will seek to continue that success this fall with the help of preseason all-league defender Briana McCarty.
Saint Louis, which was selected to finish fifth in 2002, has three players that earned preseason all-league recognition. Senior GK Meghann Burke has earned All-C-USA recognition in each of her first three years at SLU. She is joined by senior F/MF Jenny Kehl and sophomore F Jamie Perry.
Houston, which welcomes eight new faces to this year's team, was picked to finish sixth by C-USA coaches.
The top eight finishers in the regular season earn a spot in the Conference USA Tournament. The league's eighth season gets underway on Friday, August 30.
2002 C-USA PRESEASON AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kate Gordon, Sr., F, Marquette
ALL-CONFERENCE
Meghann Burke, Sr., GK, Saint Louis
Anne Dalecky, Sr., D, Marquette
Amanda Duffy, Sr., F, East Carolina
Kate Gordon, Sr., F, Marquette
Heather Herweh, Sr., D, Cincinnati
Kristen Jensen, Jr., MF, Marquette
Jenny Kehl, Sr., F/MF, Saint Louis
Briana McCarty, So., D, UAB
Jamie Perry, So., F, Saint Louis
Tasha Wagner, So., MF/D, Cincinnati
Tricia Wiles, Sr., F, Southern Miss
2002 C-USA PRESEASON POLL
(as selected by C-USA coaches)
1. Marquette
2. Cincinnati
3. Charlotte
4. UAB
5. Saint Louis
6. Houston
7. East Carolina
8. Tulane
9. TCU
10. Memphis
11. South Florida
12. Southern Miss
13. Louisville
14. DePaul
