Southland announces preseason All-Conference Women’s Soccer Teams

FRISCO, Texas – Defending Southland Conference regular season and tournament champion Northwestern State leads the way with eight selections on the preseason all-conference soccer teams, which were announced by the league on Wednesday. The preseason all-conference teams are presented by Hercules Tires.

The squads are loaded with returning talent, including 11 of last year’s 12 all-conference defenders and all four first-team forwards.

The Lady Demons land four on the first team, including defending Southland Player and Forward of the Year Olivia Draguicevich, as well as three-time reigning Southland Defender of the Year Nicole Henry. Last year’s Freshman of the Year, Caroline Hilliard, headlines NSU’s four second-team nods.

Draguicevich topped the league with 12 goals against conference foes to lead the Lady Demons to their first regular-season conference title since 2000. The three-time Southland Offensive Player of the Week tied for the Division I lead with six game-winning goals on the year and matched a program record with four goals in a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Hilliard logged more than 1,000 minutes on the back line in her rookie campaign, and Henry anchored the defensive unit that ranked fifth nationally in shutout percentage (.625) and set a school record with 10 shutouts on the year.

McNeese earns five preseason all-league selections, led by forward Rachel Young, a Third-Team All-Midwest Region selection in 2021. HBU and UIW follow with four picks apiece, including a pair each on the top squad. Southeastern and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi account for three spots apiece, and Lamar rounds out the lists with two honorees.

The 2022 season gets underway Thursday, Aug. 18, with five squads in action, and the conference slate begins Friday, Sept. 9. The 2022 Southland Conference Soccer Tournament will be played Nov. 2-6 in Natchitoches, La.

Returning players from the 2021 All-Conference teams are automatically named to this year’s Preseason All-Conference teams at their same positions. Vacant positions are nominated and voted upon by the conference’s head coaches. Voting for one’s own player is not permitted.

2022 Southland Conference Preseason First Team

2022 Southland Conference Preseason Second Team