BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference released its 2013 SWAC Preseason Soccer teams and predicted order of finish as voted on by the league coaches and sport information contacts.
Points were compiled on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis for the predicted order of finish. Head coaches and sport information contacts were not allowed to vote for his or her team.
Mississippi Valley State and Alabama State registered the most preseason all-conference selections with four. Prairie View A&M and Southern each posted three players.
Alabama State forward Alexandria Cannon was named SWAC Preseason Player of the Year. Cannon started in all 18 contests for the Lady Hornets in 2012. She recorded 11 goals on the season to lead all scorers in the SWAC. Her five assists ranked third in the conference and second on the team. She tallied a team and conference best, 27 points, while taking 60 shots which ranked second in the league.
Deborah Arguelles (Prairie View A&M) and Alyssa Cobbs (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) were tabbed SWAC Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
Arguelles played in 19 games as a defender with the Lady Panthers. She finished the season with a .667 shot-on-goal percentage and was a two-time SWAC Defender of the Week in 2012. Last year, she also earned an All-SWAC Second Team selection.
Cobbs led UAPB and the conference with a .805 save percentage as a result from a league leading 153 saves. As a goalkeeper, she also finished first on the team and second in the SWAC in saves per game (8.50) while recording five shut outs.
For the predicted order of finish, last season’s tournament champion Mississippi Valley State received 81 points with 11 first-place votes to top the Eastern Division in the preseason. Jackson State received 69 votes followed by Alabama State (52), Alabama A&M (40), and Alcorn State (37).
Prairie View A&M received a total of 90 points to become the favorites of the Western Division with 14 first-place votes. Arkansas-Pine Bluff totaled 55 points for second with Texas Southern (46), Southern (45) and Grambling State (42) closing out the division.
2013 All SWAC Preseason Teams
Offensive Player of the Year
Alexandria Cannon – Alabama State
Co-Defensive Player of the Year
Deborah Arguelles – Prairie View A&M
Alyssa Cobbs – Arkansas- Pine Bluff
First Team
Forwards
Alexandria Cannon – Alabama State
India Pleasant – Alabama State
Shanesse Spratt – Mississippi Valley State
Midfielders
Anastasia McCleary – Alabama State
Ana Huertas – Alabama A&M
Katherine Sheppard – Prairie View A&M
Nykosi Simmons – Mississippi Valley State
Defenders
Debbie Arguelles – Prairie View A&M
Bianca Vigliante – Mississippi Valley State
Molly Stone – Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Goalkeeper
Alyssa Cobbs – Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Second Team
Forwards
Arianna Rountree – Prairie View
Shatiuanna Banks – Jackson State
Jessica Smith– Texas Southern
Midfielders
Raquel Araujo – Jackson State
Hailey Beekman – Mississippi Valley State
Marlyn Campa – Texas Southern
Fabiola Parra – Southern
Defenders
Stephanie Howard – Alabama State
Amber Irvin – Alabama A&M
Breanna Powell – Prairie View A&M
Goalkeeper
Sarah Forde – Southern
2013 Predicted Order of Finish
Eastern Division
Mississippi Valley State 81 (11)
Jackson State 69 (4)
Alabama State 52 (2)
Alabama A&M 40 (1)
Alcorn State 37
Western Division
Prairie View A&M 90 (14)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 55 (2)
Texas Southern 46
Southern 45 (1)
Grambling State 42 (1)
