Clayton State picked to win Peach Belt crown
By Brad Crawford
Sports Editor
CSU led the way with 33 total votes, including three first place and three second place finishes. The Lakers finished last season 14-4-2 and lost 10 players to graduation. They will try and reload this year with 17 new names on roster.
Lander, ranked No. 18 nationally heading into this season, finished second in the preseason poll with 32 votes. UNCP just missed a fourth place predicted finish with 22 total votes. USC Aiken secured the No. 3 spot with 23 votes, including one first place nod. 2008 Outlook
The Black and Gold will look to improve on last season’s 8-11 record after losing 8-of-9 contests to finish 2007. UNCP has three players returning who were named to the PBC All-Conference preseason team on Aug. 23. Seniors Michael Barnhorst, Miguel Ferrer and Andrew Brown were three of 11 players named to the preseason squad, tying the team lead for nominees with Lander. Ferrer, one of just three PBC men’s soccer players to garner All-American honors last season, was named an all-region and all-conference selection after scoring 26 points on nine goals and eight assists in 2007.
Brown scored 12 points on three goals and six assists, while logging his lone game-winning score of the campaign with the first goal in a 1-0 win over Francis Marion in the opening round of PBC Tournament play.
Barnhorst started 17 games on the UNCP backline last season and finished the campaign with five assists – good enough for third on the squad.
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