Craft Earns Preseason Honor

Aug. 6, 2005

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - University of Louisville junior forward Jamie Craft has been named to the 2005 BIG EAST preseason All-Conference first team.

Craft, who earned All-Region honors in 2004, posted a Conference USA-best 14 goals last season. This season will mark the first for the Cardinals in the BIG EAST, which will consist of 16 teams, making it the largest women' soccer conference in the nation.

"I am extremely proud of Jamie for being selected to the BIG EAST preseason All-Conference team and I am confident in her being able to make an impact in the Big East this year," noted Head Coach Karen Ferguson.

The Cards were selected to finish fifth out of eight Division B teams, while defending National Champion Notre Dame was the unanimous choice to win the Divison B and league titles. UCONN was voted the top team in Division A.

" We still are very young and the BIG EAST will be competitive but we are all ready for the challenge. I don't put a lot of emphasis on preseason rankings. We have yet to play a minute of soccer in the new conference, so we really can not predict how we will finish until we play the games," Ferguson added.

Each team will play seven opponents within its division and four opponents from the other division. All games against conference opponents, regardless of division affiliation will affect the overall conference record.

At the end of the regular season, the top ten teams will compete in the 2005 BIG EAST Women's Soccer Championships. The top three teams in each division earn a first-round bye to the quarterfinals. The first round and quarterfinal games will be held on the campus of the higher seeded team. First round games will be held Oct. 26-27, with the quarterfinals following on Oct. 29-30. Marquette's Valley Fields will serve as host for the '05 semifinal round (Nov. 4) and the championship match (Nov. 6).


Division A
1. Connecticut (13)2. West Virginia (3)3. Syracuse4. Marquette5. St. John's6. Pittsburgh7. USF8. Providence
Division B
1. Notre Dame (15)2. Villanova (1)3. Rutgers4. Georgetown5. Louisville6. DePaul7. Seton Hall8. Cincinnati
Preseason Offensive Player of the YearKatie Thorlakson, Sr., F, Notre Dame*

Preseason Defensive Player of the YearLaura Koch, Sr., B, Villanova

Preseason Goalkeeper of the YearErika Bohn, Sr., Notre Dame

Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^Katie Thorlakson, Sr., F, Notre DameLaura Koch, Sr., B, VillanovaErika Bohn, Sr., GK, Notre DameMeghan Schnur, So., MF, ConnecticutMarisa Kanela, Sr., MF, West VirginiaJen Buczkowski, Jr., MF, Notre DameAshley Banks, So., F/MF, West VirginiaCandace Chapman, Sr., F/D, Notre DameJamie Craft, Jr., F, LouisvilleNatasha Lee, Jr., F/MF, St. John'sZoe Avner, Sr., MF, RutgersJulianne Sitch, Sr., MF, DePaul^ - Due to a tie in voting an extra member has been added to thepreseason team* - unanimous selection

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