Cougs Picked Fourth In Pac-12 Poll
SAN FRANCISCO - After a historic campaign that led the Washington State soccer team to their first College Cup in 2019, the 2021 edition of the Cougs were selected to finish fourth in conference play according to the preseason coaches poll released by the Pac-12 office Wednesday morning. The selection marks the second-straight season the Cougs have been picked in the fourth place position tying for the highest preseason selection for WSU in the coaches poll. The defending national and Pac-12 champs, Stanford, was picked to take the title for a record sixth-consecutive season after receiving five first-place votes. UCLA came in just behind the Cardinal in the poll after picking up the remaining four first-place votes while USC received three first place votes.
The Cougars enter the 2021 spring season looking to repeat the magic from the 2019 fall season when they ran through the postseason en route to the College Cup and an all-time high ranking of No. 4 in the national polls. While the Cougs have big shoes to fill with the graduations of some of their all-time great players in 2020, WSU is fully loaded with a senior class that has put together the most successful three year run in program history having advanced to the Elite Eight or better in two of their three seasons. Leading the way for the Cougs are seniors Makamae Gomera-Stevens and Brianna Alger who hit the pitch fresh off of hearing their names called on draft night by the Chicago Red Stars and Houston Dash of the NWSL. On top of the stellar veterans, WSU brought in one of the top ranked freshmen classes in the country including the 2019 ECNL Player of the Year, Marin Whieldon. In goal, the Cougs will look to veteran Marissa Zucchetto who transferred from Texas Tech to WSU at the beginning of the year. The fourth-year netminder led the nation in shutouts as a sophomore and led the Red Raiders into the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons.
WSU begins the regular season on the road, Feb, 7, at Seattle U for the second-straight season while beginning their home slate Feb. 12 against Eastern Washington. The Cougars have taken on Seattle U to start the year each of the last two seasons having defeated the Redhawks by a combined 7-1 score in those two contest.
2021 Pac-12 Women's Soccer Spring Coaches Poll
Rank School (First place votes) Points
1. Stanford (5) 115
2. UCLA (4) 110
3. USC 108
4. Washington State 86
5. California 76
6. Arizona 67
7. Washington 57
8. Colorado 48
9. Oregon State 45
10. Utah 38
11. Oregon 22
12. Arizona State 20