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Ohio Valley Conference Releases Preseason Soccer Poll

MSU Athletics

Morehead State earned one first-place vote and has been picked sixth in the 2016 Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. The Eagles earned 134 points, just 16 points shy of second-place Southeast Missouri.

Murray State, who won its second OVC Tournament title last year, was picked first and received 18 of the 22 first place votes and 198 points. Southeast Missouri earned 150 points for a second-place finish.

Tennessee Tech earned one first-place vote and 147 points for a third-place predicted order finish. UT Martin picked up a pair of first-place nods and 140 points for fourth place while Jacksonville State is selected to place fifth with 137 points.

The preseason poll was rounded out by Austin Peay (84), SIUE (84), Belmont (67), Eastern Kentucky (49) and Eastern Illinois (21).

Last season, the Eagles finished 9-11-2 and advanced to the semifinals of the OVC Touranment. They return four upperclassmen, including seniors Angela Black and Tonia Parisi. Black, the 2013 OVC Freshman of the Year, leads the team with 14 career goals.

Morehead State also returns sophomores Abby Timm and Dani Wilson. Timm earned OVC Freshman of the Year honors, along with being named First Team All-OVC and to the All-Newcomer Team, after scoring a team-high nine goals, including three game-winners. Wilson accumulated eight goals and a team-high six assists en route to Second Team All-OVC and Newcomer Team honors.

"As with all preseason polls, it isn't where you start, it's how you finish," said head coach Warren Lipka. "We could be picked number one and lose every conference match or be picked last and run the table. That's why we play the games."

Lipka is entering his seventh season at the helm. He has led Morehead State to two OVC Tournament Championships and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. He has been named OVC Coach of the Year three times.

The Eagles open with an exhibition at Louisville on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. ET. They open the regular season at Illinois on Friday, Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. The home opener is Friday, Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. against Evansville.

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