By WCC Athletic Communications
SAN BRUNO, Calif. – On the heels of its fourth straight West Coast Conference women’s soccer championship, the University of Portland has been selected to repeat as WCC champions this season, despite some heavy competition from a conference that boasts four 2010 NCAA Tournament participants. The Pilots earned six first-place votes and 61 overall points in a preseason poll of the West Coast Conference’s nine head coaches.
Santa Clara University, a 2010 NCAA participant, garnered two first place votes and tallied 53 points to finish in a second place tie with WCC newcomer Brigham Young University. The Cougars finished with 53 points and one first place vote in this year’s WCC poll after winning the Mountain West Conference championship a season ago.
The University of San Diego captured 47 points in the coaches poll to finish fourth. The Toreros also were an NCAA at-large berth in 2010. Loyola Marymount University (33 points), Pepperdine University (31) and Saint Mary’s College (20) follow, with a tie between Gonzaga University and the University of San Francisco (13 points each) rounding out the poll.
In all, seven of the nine WCC schools are represented on the preseason All-West Coast Conference team, led by Portland and Santa Clara with three selections each. The 2011 season begins on Aug. 19, with eight teams in action.
