No. 24 UNG Women's Soccer Picked Second, Nighthawk Trio Named Preseason All-Conference
DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia women's soccer team was picked to finish second in the Peach Belt Conference by the preseason coaches poll the league office announced Wednesday morning. Senior goalkeeper Sierra Fowler, senior defender Cat Watry and junior midfielder Adleigh Wheeler were all selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
The Nighthawks were picked second behind Columbus State who received five first-place votes to UNG's three. Flagler and Lander followed in third and fourth respectively, each receiving one first-place vote.
CSU and UNG are the only PBC teams ranked in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Preseason Poll. The Cougars currently sit at No. 23 while the Nighthawks are right behind at No. 24. The two teams will not meet until Saturday, Oct. 26 this season when UNG heads to Columbus, Ga. for a 2 p.m. road contest against the defending PBC Tournament Champions.
Last year, the Nighthawks went 14-4-4 in what was one of the best seasons in program history. They won the PBC Regular Season title outright for the first time ever and advanced to the PBC Tournament Championship for the first time since 2016. UNG didn't lose a conference game all season, going 8-0-1 (.944) in league play and posting its best conference record in a single season in school history.
The Nighthawks were led in net by a USC First Team All-American in Fowler. Over 22 games, the keeper allowed only 17 goals while making 76 saves. Fowler held opponents scoreless 11 times last year, a mark that ranked ninth in the country among all keepers.
Contributing on the back line to those 11 shutouts was the veteran defender Watry. She started all 20 games she played in last season and while being a force on defense, chipped in four goals and an assist total nine points offensively. With five other players, Watry's four goals ranked third on the team a season ago.
Wheeler also totaled four goals last season, adding five assists from the forward position to combine for 13 points. Wheeler became a PBC All-Conference and USC All-Region selection for her efforts last season. Of the Nighthawks' 10 all-conference selections, Wheeler was one of just three sophomores to make the list, joined by current teammates Alex Clark and Alizee Buresi.
UNG begins its quest to retain its spot atop the PBC on Thursday, Sep. 5 at 1 p.m. with the home opener from the UNG Soccer Field at Lynn Cottrell Park against UNC Pembroke.
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