Norcross, Ga. - Not surprising, the team that tops the preseason national ranking is also the team selected by the SSAC coaches to capture the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Championship. For the sixth consecutive season, the Lee University women's soccer team has been selected by the SSAC coaches as the favorite to capture the 2010 SSAC Women's Soccer Championship.

Last season, the Lady Flames went unblemished in league play as they captured the regular season and conference tournament championships, as they went onto to win their second consecutive national championship. For the second straight season, Lee (Tenn.) tops the preseason national rankings as the Lady Flames are No. 1 in the NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll. Lee tallied 621 total points and 20 of the 22 possible first-place nods.

Winning its second consecutive national championship, Lee finished 2009 with a 21-2-1 record and 8-0 in the SSAC. Lee shut out 14 opponents (in 24 matches) and ranked second in national statistics with 91 goals. Junior forward Jamie Achten returns to lead the Lady Flames with 44 goals and 36 assists to her credit in two seasons. A two-time NAIA All-American, Achten will look to replace 2009 NAIA Player of the Year Christiane Christensen. Coach Matt Yelton the overall SSAC Coach of the Year returns 8 starters in 2010.

Brenau University was picked to finish behind Lee in the East Division, followed by Shorter University. William Carey University was picked to win the West, after being ranked No. 9 in the NAIA polls released earlier this week. No. 13 Auburn University-Montgomery was picked to finish second in the West followed by University of Mobile and Faulkner University. In the overall SSAC poll the teams ranked from no. 2 through no. 7 are from the six-member West Division.

This year, fourteen teams will be competing for the regular season championship with eight teams qualifying for post season SSAC Tournament Championships. The first round of the SSAC Championship Tournament begins on Saturday, November 6 on the campuses of the four highest seeds (top two seeds in each division), with the semifinals and championship game being held at the Sportsplex in Gulfport, Mississippi on Thursday, November 11 and Saturday, November 13, respectively. The winner and the runner-up of the SSAC Championship Tournament will receive the automatic bids to the NAIA National Championship.

Below is the complete 2010 SSAC Women's Preseason Soccer Poll:

Overall Preseason Poll

Divisional Polls