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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Overland Park, Kan.. -- Fresh off their initial NCAA Tournament appearance and their highest-ever MIAA finish in 2006, success will be expected once again as the Missouri Southern Lions have been picked to finish second in the MIAA preseason poll, as announced by the league office today. The defending conference champion Washburn Lady Blues have been selected to repeat with 43 points and picked up four of the seven first-place votes. The Lions were just edged out by WU with 41 points and received two first-place votes. Central Missouri was third with 37 points, while receiving the other two first-place tallies. Southwest Baptist was next in line with 33 points, followed by Truman (31 points), Northwest Missouri State (18 points), Emporia State (14 points) and Missouri Western (7 points). The Lions will begin the 2007 campaign with a home match against Delta State (Miss.) on Aug. 24. Southern opens up MIAA play with a road match at Southwest Baptist on Aug. 31. MSSU head coach Trevor Wachsman, in his fifth-year at Southern, led the Lions to an 11-4-5 overall record last season and a second-place MIAA finish with a 9-2-3 conference record. The Lions also ended the season ranked for the first time in school history, finishing as the No. 22-ranked squad in the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll. Wachsman will welcome back a deep and experienced unit this season, with eight starters and 13 letterwinners returning for the 2007 season.
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