JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After leading the University of North Florida women’s soccer team in goals and assists last season, senior midfielder Elizabeth Gowan has been named to the 2008 Atlantic Sun Preseason All-Conference team.

 

“This honor shows that the other coaches in the conference are aware of her ability,” UNF head coach Linda Hamilton said.  “It is a tribute to all of her hard work and her success over the past seasons.”

 

Gowan, a Palm City, Fla. native, scored six goals during her junior season, the highest of her career, after netting three as a freshman and two as a sophomore.  Gowan can break into the top-10 in goals scored in UNF women’s soccer history if she matches her total from a year ago.  With 12 career assists (four as a freshman, five as a sophomore, three as a junior), Gowan needs just two this season to add her name to the UNF record book in career assists.

 

Last season, Gowan opened the year by scoring UNF’s only goal in a 1-1 tie with Florida International before scoring a goal and adding an assist in a Lady Osprey romp of Alabama State, 13-0.  She scored both goals at East Tennessee State to give UNF a 2-1 win.  Her second gamewinner of the season came in another 2-1 match, this time at Campbell.

 

This season, Gowan leads a UNF squad that was picked to finish seventh in the A-Sun, according to the preseason coach’s poll released on Tuesday.  As one of four seniors on the 2008 Lady Osprey roster, she will lead 18 underclassmen, including 11 freshmen, into preseason action on Aug. 16 against Rollins College before the team opens the regular season at South Florida on Aug. 22. 

 

“This really serves as a boost of confidence, not only for Elizabeth, but for the whole team,” Hamilton said.  “She leads by example through the way she plays.  For a young team, it is good to have a senior recognized for hard work and dedication to set the tone and show the younger players how to succeed.”

 

UNF finished with a 6-5 A-Sun record and a sixth place conference finish in 2007.  Kennesaw State rolled through league play with a 10-1 record on and is the favorite to take the 2008 regular season title and tournament title.  The Owls received all 11 first place votes and senior forward Caitlin Dingle was tabbed the preseason player of the year.

 

Mercer, last year’s A-Sun Tournament runner-up, ranked second in the preseason poll, followed by Florida Gulf Coast and East Tennessee State.  Belmont and Stetson, ranked fifth and sixth respectively, rounded out the top six.

 

2008 A-Sun Preseason All-Conference Team

Pos.        Name                                     Class      School

GK          Katie Shelton                         Jr.            Lipscomb

D             Bridget Gaughan                  Jr.            Kennesaw State

D             Katie Hudson                        So.          Mercer

D             Jessica Rix                            Sr.           Belmont

M             Meghan Castaldo                 Sr.           Mercer

M             Elizabeth Gowan                  Jr.            UNF

MF          Amber McCall                        Jr.            FGCU

MF          Beth Meadows                      Sr.           Kennesaw State

F              Caitlin Dingle                        Sr.           Kennesaw State

F              Jordan Monty                        Jr.            ETSU

F              Keri Zwikker                          Sr.           Jacksonville

 

2008 A-Sun Coach’s Preseason Poll

1.   Kennesaw State

2.   Mercer

3.   Florida Gulf Coast

4.   East Tennessee State

5.   Belmont

6.   Stetson

7.   UNF

8.   Jacksonville

9.   Campbell

10. USC-Upstate

11. Lipscomb