University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Soccer Receives No. 18 Preseason National Ranking
August 15, 2006 | Soccer
The Bulldogs return nine starters and 12 letterwinners from a squad that posted a 12-6-2 record, good for a fifth place SEC finish, in their first year under the direction of head coach Patrick Baker. Along with its core of returning players, Georgia has added the nation’s eighth-ranked signing class to the mix.
“Our team is very excited about this ranking,” said Baker. “It is great to know that with the way we played last year combined with our returning players and our great recruiting class that people think we are a Top-20 type of team. I am not sure we are quite there just yet, we still have to prove we belong there. Of course it is great to be recognized in the preseason but your real goal is to still be there in the end.”
“Our hope is that we can challenge for the conference, reach the postseason and be able to play in the national limelight,” continued Baker. “I think that for our seniors that would be very special. To have that type of year and be able to capture some moments that they will reflect on fondly for years to come would be terrific. At the same time it would be great for our influx of new players to be able to experience it and then look back and see that this is what is expected of them every year. Not that we are overconfident about our ability to get there, but we want to be able to say ‘OK, this is the path and the process and now we know what we need to do to be able to accomplish our goals’. That is what you strive for year in and year out.”
Georgia is one of four SEC teams ranked in the Top 25 as the Bulldogs join Tennessee (10), Florida (11) and Ole Miss (24). In the Southeast Region rankings, Georgia is listed at No. 5 behind perennial national championship challengers Florida State, North Carolina, Florida and Duke.
“This is an incredibly exciting way to get the season started,” said senior captain Catherine Bruce. “Especially since last season didn’t end the way we wanted it to when we were not selected to the NCAA Tournament. To start this way is a great testament to how hard we have worked and also speaks volumes about the quality of the returning players and the new incoming players as well. Hopefully it is just a starting point for this team. It puts us in a good position but now we have to go out and prove that we belong there.”
“When I heard about the ranking it was a really good feeling,” said freshman Natalie Farley. “It was exciting to know that the team had done so much work already to get to that point. It was an added bonus to join a team that was already so highly regarded and gaining national attention. Now we have to maintain it and try to move up.”
The Bulldogs will play a preseason exhibition match against Clemson on Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Turner Soccer Complex at 7 p.m. Clemson is ranked seventh in the region behind Georgia and Wake Forest (6). Georgia opens up the regular season against Jacksonville at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25 in Athens.
