Marquette University Athletics
Golden Eagles Predicted to win C-USA Women's Soccer
8/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 13, 2002
CHICAGO - Marquette, which has made three consecutive NCAA appearances and won three Conference USA titles in league history, has been selected to win the 2002 regular season title in a vote taken by the league's 14 head coaches.
Marquette, which has finished first or second in five of the last six seasons, returns 10 returning and 20 letterwinners to a 16-6 team from a year ago. The team has finished first or second in five of the last six seasons and has advanced to the C-USA Tournament final each of the past six seasons.
MU forward Kate Gordon (Sioux City, Iowa), who scored nine goals with four assists in 2001, has been chosen to win her second straight Player-of-the-Year award. Gordon, an honorable mention All-American last season and a second-team All-American selection in 2000, will attempt to become the third player in C-USA history to win the women's soccer Player-of-the-Year award on consecutive occasions. Charlotte's Jill Currie won the award in 1999 and 2000; Paulette Angilecchia of Cincinnati won in 1995 and 1996.
Joining Gordon on the preseason all-conference team are a pair of MU teammates. Junior midfielder Kristen Jensen (Shorewood, Ill.) and senior defender Anne Dalecky (Wauwatosa, Wis.), the Conference's Co-Defensive Player of the Year last season, were also voted to the team. Jensen was a first-team All-Conference USA selection in each of her first two season. Dalecky was named first-team all-conference a season ago. Marquette and Saint Louis are the only team to land three players on the preseason honors squad.
Cincinnati, last year's regular season and postseason champion, was chosen to challenge Marquette for the league title. Charlotte, UAB and Saint Louis round out the preseason top five.
The Golden Eagles begin the season at home on Aug. 30. MU kicks off against Ohio at 8:15 p.m. as part of the Verizon Wireless Milwaukee Cup.
- MU -
2002 C-USA PRESEASON AWARDSPLAYER 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
