ACC Pre-season Poll Released

Aug. 9, 2004

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The North Carolina Tar Heels have been selected as the top pick for the 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Soccer season, as determined by a vote of the league’s ten head coaches.

The Tar Heels, who have won 15 consecutive ACC titles, tallied 98 points including eight first place votes. North Carolina returns 23 letterwinners and six starters, including Lindsay Tarpley, the nation’s leading scorer as well as National and ACC Player of the Year in 2003. Last season the Tar Heels posted a perfect 27-0-0 record en route to winning their 18th national championship.

The Florida State Seminoles come in at second place with 83 points after advancing to the school’s first ever College Cup as part of the final four in 2003. The Seminoles return 18 letterwinners including nine starters from last season’s squad that finished with a 17-8-1 record.

Virginia is the coaches’ pick to finish third after accumulating 76 total points including one first place vote. The Cavaliers who finished the 2003 season with a record of 12-5-4 return eight starters and 17 letterwinners from last year’s team.

Completing the preseason poll in order of projected finish are Clemson (69), Duke (64), Maryland (47), Wake Forest (46), NC State (28), Virginia Tech (22) and Miami (17). Below is a listing of the preseason coaches’ poll with 2003 records.

2004 Preseason ACC Women’s Soccer Poll

School
1. North Carolina (8)
2. Florida State
3. Virginia (1)
4. Clemson (1)
5. Duke
6. Maryland
7. Wake Forest
8. NC State
9. Virginia Tech
10. Miami