Pac-12 women's soccer kicks off fall season today

• The 2017 Pac-12 Conference women’s soccer season begins on Friday, Aug. 18 with 11 teams competing, including five matches that will be broadcast on regional and national Pac-12 Networks. Defending NCAA champion USC will kick off the season by hosting UC Davis at 3 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Networks.

• The Pac-12 has five teams ranked in the United Soccer Coaches preseason national poll, the second-most of any conference. With STANFORD claiming the No. 2 spot, USC ranked No. 3 and UCLA at No. 9, the Pac-12 is tied for first nationally with three teams in the top 10. UTAH checked in at No. 20 and COLORADO finished out the voting at No. 25 for its first preseason ranking since 2007.

• The Pac-12 has the most representatives on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List with seven student-athletes, the most from the Conference since seven in 2010. The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer, presented annually to one male and one female athlete. The Conference is represented by Jemma Purfield, ARIZONA STATE; Taylor Kornieck, Colorado; Andi Sullivan and Tierna Davidson, Stanford; Jessie Fleming, UCLA; Ally Prisock, USC; and Hailey Skolmoski, Utah

• Six Pac-12 teams earned berths to the 2016 NCAA Championship. Stanford earned a No. 1 seed for the third-straight year and was joined in the field by No. 2 seed USC, No. 4 seed UCLA, CALIFORNIA, Colorado and Utah. Three programs reached the Round of 16, including the eventual national champion Trojans and the Utes, who advanced to the round for the first time in program history.

• With a 10-1-0 league mark in 2016, Stanford claimed its sixth Pac-12 title in the last eight years and 11th all-time. The Cardinal led the Conference in points (141) and goals (51) to bring home a second-straight Pac-12 championship.

• USC women’s soccer is coming off the 2016 NCAA championship, defeating West Virginia 3-1 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif. The Trojans brought home their second NCAA title in program history and the Pac-12’s fourth in the sport all-time.

• Embracing USC’s title, Pac-12 institutions have won three of the past six and four of the last 10 NCAA Women’s College Cup championships. Additionally, the Conference has produced a Women’s College Cup participant 14 of the last 17 seasons.

• The Pac-12 tied for the most selections (seven) across the three TopDrawerSoccer 2017 Preseason Women’s DI Best XI teams and had the most of any league with five on the Freshmen Best XI

First Team: Fleming, UCLA; Sullivan, Stanford.
Second Team: Purfield, ASU; Davidson, Stanford; Kornieck, Colorado.
Third Team: Emily Boyd, California; Prisock, USC.
Freshmen: Emily Smith, California; Kennedy Faulnor, UCLA; Savannah DeMelo, USC; Ashley Sanchez, UCLA; Catarina Macario, Stanford.

• The Pac-12 has produced the most National Women’s Soccer League Draft picks in two of the past three seasons. In the 2017 Draft, the Pac-12 had the most of any collegiate league with 12 selections, including six of the 10 first-round picks.

• Last season the Pac-12 ranked No. 1 in the NCAA RPI in non-conference play. This year across the league, there are 18 scheduled non-conference matches against preseason top 25 teams.

• With the most comprehensive television schedule of any conference, the Pac-12 Networks’ 850 live event telecasts will begin on the pitch with a 72-game women’s soccer schedule. Pac-12 women’s soccer programs get unprecedented exposure and each team will appear on the Networks at least seven times. 

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

NATIONAL HONORS

MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List
Andi Sullivan, Tierna Davidson Stanford; Jemma Purfield; Arizona State, Taylor Kornieck; Colorado, Ally Prisock; USC, Jessie Fleming; UCLA, Hailey Skolmoski; Utah 

IN THE PRESEASON

Pac-12 Preseason Poll | NSCAA Preseason Poll | Soccer America Preseason Poll unavailable as of 8/15