Aug. 20, 2003

The Southeastern Conference released the results of its preseason women’s soccer coaches’ poll Wednesday, and the coaches penciled in Kentucky as the third-place team in the SEC’s Eastern division. Kentucky’s 39 points put the Cats behind Tennessee and Florida and ahead of Georgia, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

Kentucky Head Coach Warren Lipka, in his 12th season with the Wildcats, sees little value in UK’s third-place preseason ranking.

“The preseason polls don’t mean a lot at this point,” Lipka said. “We’re just concerned about where we are at the end of the season.”

In 2002, Kentucky finished 11-9 after reaching the SEC Tournament semifinals and the first round of the NCAA Tournament. UK returns 17 letter winners from last year’s squad, including first-team All-SEC performer and All-America candidate Elizabeth Ramsey, a senior from Hilliard, Ohio. Ramsey and the rest of her teammates kick off their exhibition season Friday at 6 p.m. CT in Fort Wayne, Ind. when they take on Ohio State at the IPFW/adidas Soccer Showcase. The Cats will wrap up their weekend Sunday afternoon when they take on Cincinnati at 12 p.m. CT.

SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll

(first place votes in parentheses)

Eastern DivisionPoints

1.  Tennessee (10)692.  Florida (2)493.  Kentucky394.  Georgia325.  South Carolina 226.  Vanderbilt14

Western DivisionPoints

1.  Auburn (7)562.  Ole Miss (4)533.  LSU334.  Miss. State315.  Alabama (1)236.  Arkansas20

SEC Champion: Tennessee (8), Auburn (1), Florida (1), Georgia (1), Miss. State (1)