While the SEC may not be in the nation’s most fertile soccer territory, the league has become an elite soccer conference recently. 2013 should be no different, with 10 teams in good position to make a run at an NCAA Tournament play as league play begins. Here is The Daily Reveille’s preview for each team in the form of power rankings.
SEC EAST
1. Florida – (6-1-1): Until proven otherwise, the Gators belong at the top of any SEC power rankings, having won 12 of 20 league titles. They’re off to a dominant start this fall, outscoring opponents by 2.5 goals in their six wins. Freshman Savannah Jordan has added another dimension as the team’s most potent offensive threat, tallying eight goals, including three game-winners.
2. South Carolina – (7-0-1): Picked to finish fifth in the East, the unbeaten Gamecocks have been the league’s biggest surprise in non-conference play. They won’t light up the scoresheet, but USC has allowed only one goal this season and it was to Clemson in a 2-1 win. We’ll find out soon enough if the Gamecocks are for real, as they face Georgia, Arkansas and Florida — who are a combined 20-3-1 — in the next two weeks.
3. Kentucky – (6-1-1): No. 21 Kentucky enters the SEC schedule at 6-1-1, with its only loss coming against No. 8 Wake Forest. Senior goalkeeper Kayla King has allowed only five goals to opponents this season, recording four shutouts along the way. Junior midfielder Stuart Pope and freshman forward Zoe Swift have scored seven and six goals, respectively, making a formidable duo in the Wildcats’ attacking third. Kentucky advanced to the second round of last year’s NCAA tournament and should be poised for another tournament berth.
4. Georgia – (7-1-0): The red-hot Bulldogs will start their SEC schedule on a seven-game winning streak, but looks can be deceiving. After opening the season with a 2-0 loss at Texas, Georgia’s non-conference schedule was littered with mid-major opponents. But Georgia is much improved, having already equaled its win total from 2012. The bright spot for the Bulldogs is senior goalkeeper Caitlin Woody, who has recorded six clean sheets while allowing only three goals this season.
5. Tennessee – (5-2-1): The Volunteers claimed a quality win on August 30 with a 2-1 win at No. 17 UCF. Tennessee hasn’t exactly racked up goals, but if junior goalkeeper Julie Eckel continues to dominate between the posts, the Volunteers could find themselves back in the NCAA tournament.
6. Missouri – (4-4-0): Missouri is looking build on its 14-win 2012 campaign, which ended in a loss to Illinois in a PK shootout in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Tigers are an offensive powerhouse, averaging just less than three goals a game. Missouri must improve on finishing close games once conference play starts, as the Tigers’ four losses have all been by one point.
7. Vanderbilt – (3-3-2): Vanderbilt, winners of only five games in 2012, stand at 3-3-2 heading into its conference docket and are LSU’s first conference foe. The Commodores are much improved offensively; their 21 goals this season nearly match last year’s total of 24. Vanderbilt will lean heavily on sophomore forward Cheyna Williams, who leads the squad with eight goals.
SEC WEST
1. Texas A&M – (5-2-1): After nearly claiming the overall league title in their first SEC season, the Aggies are again a threat this fall. Though they don’t appear as dominant as they may have been in a 10-2-1 2012 conference campaign, an offense that has heated up during the last three weeks should boost A&M back to the top of the West. The Aggies have to hit the road for the first time against Tennessee this weekend after playing all eight non-conference matches at home.
2. LSU – (4-3-1): LSU’s record may be a bit deceiving. Coach Brian Lee put together a challenging non-conference schedule to test his talented freshman class and an experienced back line. Though the Tigers have been maddeningly inconsistent at times, they’ve pitched five shutouts, beat a ranked team (No. 13 Southern Cal) and played four matches away from home. Senior Megan Kinneman will be stout in goal, but LSU needs more production from a youthful offensive third that started hot but has struggled to find the net in September.
3. Ole Miss – (6-1-1): The Rebels have been the West’s answer to South Carolina, opening the season on an impressive run. They’ve been overwhelming opponents offensively, averaging three goals per game and only failing to tally multiple goals against a ranked USC squad and a 7-1-1 Minnesota team in its home stadium. Just like last year, the Rebels are led by the forward duo of Rafaelle Souza and Mandy McCalla, who each have seven goals and two assists this season.
4. Arkansas – (7-1-0): The Razorbacks have followed up their best SEC season ever — making the league tournament and winning six matches — by winning their first seven games. TCU finally handed Arkansas a loss last Sunday, but the Razorbacks are otherwise brilliant in close games, going 5-1 so far. Arkansas’ schedule is one of the league’s most brutal, as it must travel to South Carolina, Texas A&M and Kentucky.
5. Auburn – (3-3-1): Traditionally a challenger for the division title, Auburn has struggled out of the gate in 2013. They Tigers have gone 1-3-1 against teams with a winning record, putting Auburn in a precarious postseason position heading into league play. With a young team — underclassmen have accounted for six of their nine goals) — the Tigers should be a team that is much better by the back half of the conference slate.
6. Alabama – (2-5-0): There’s no denying the Tide’s ineptitude while being outscored 15-4 so far, but they are better than that 2-5 record. Alabama has played a brutal non-conference slate, falling to a top-10 Wake Forest unit, losing 1-0 to a formidable Colorado squad and handled easily by two mid-majors (Denver and Memphis) that are a combined 12-2. The Tide may struggle to find goals against SEC competition, though, as sophomore Merel Van Dongen has scored Alabama’s only four goals this season.
7. Mississippi State – (3-4-0): State is the West’s traditional doormat and this season doesn’t appear to be much different. The Bulldogs wins have come against Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic and Jackson State —   not exactly a murderer’s row. They’ve also been blasted by Southern Miss and Furman by a combined 7-0. Look for first-year head coach Aaron Gordon to eventually have some success in Starkville, but the Bulldogs aren’t ready to compete in a strong SEC just yet.