LAKE CHARLES- A day after placing two players on the 2018 Preseason All-Southland Conference Women's Soccer team, McNeese was selected for a fifth place finish by league head coaches and sports information directors as the preseason poll was announced by the conference office on Thursday.
 
Lamar, last year's conference regular season and tournament champion, has been picked to repeat, notching 20 of the possible 24 first place votes. Stephen F. Austin, Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas and McNeese rounded out the top five.
 
"I don't think many people put a ton of emphasis on the preseason poll," said head coach Drew Fitzgerald whose squad posted a 12-5-2 overall record and an 8-3 mark in league games. "We all know the league is going to be a battle like it has been the past several years. We've been picked last before and won tournament games, and have been selected near the top and didn't have a very good season.
 
"I think overall, it's a reflection on how last season finished but I also think the teams ahead of us are deserving. And we won't be sleeping on any of the teams picked behind us either."
 
Picked at No. 6 behind the Cowgirls is Houston Baptist followed by Sam Houston State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Southeastern Louisiana and Northwestern State to round out the top 10. Nicholls is picked to finish 11^th while Incarnate Word 12^th.
 
The Cowgirls continue to prepare for the August 17 season opener at Prairie View and will conduct an intrasquad scrimmage this Friday at 7 p.m. at Cowgirl Field. The event is free and open to the public.
 
 
2018 Southland Conference Preseason Poll

School (First-place votes)	Total
1.      Lamar (20)	240
2.      Stephen F. Austin (2)	212
3.      Abilene Christian (2)	182
4.      Central Arkansas	172
5.      McNeese	169
6.      Houston Baptist	161
7.      Sam Houston State	124
8.      Texas A&M-Corpus Christi	102
9.      Southeastern Louisiana	85
10.   Northwestern State	61