Utah Soccer Picked 10th in Pac-12 Preseason Poll

SAN FRANCISCO – The Utah women's soccer program was picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 this season by the conference's coaches the league announced on Wednesday.

Stanford was voted as the conference favorites to win the 2021 Pac-12 title after receiving five first-place votes to finish with 115 points. The defending national champions posted an 11-0 record in Pac-12 play in 2019 and were 24-1 overall en route to their third NCAA title.

UCLA was voted to finish second with four first-place votes and 110 points, while USC was the final school to receive a first-place vote, coming in with three first-place nods and 108 points to sit in third. Rounding out the top-five were Washington State (86) and California (76).

Ahead of Utah were Arizona (67), Washington (57), Colorado (48) and Oregon State (45). Oregon (22) and Arizona State (20) rounded out this year's preseason coaches' poll. 

Utah is coming off an NCAA Tournament berth in 2019 and the eighth appearance in the tournament under Rich Manning. The Utes placed eighth in the stacked Pac-12 Conference in 2019 when the Pac-12 sent nine teams to the big dance. The Utes return 13 letterwinners, including four starters, from the 2019 squad and have welcomed 10 true freshmen, along with four redshirts set to make their return.

Utah will open the 2021 spring schedule this Saturday, Feb. 6 against the BYU Cougars. First kick is set for 5 p.m. MT between the Utes and Cougars at Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, Utah.
 
2021 Pac-12 Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll