SAN BRUNO, Calif. - The Gonzaga University women's soccer team has been selected to finish ninth in the 2013 West Coast Conference season according to a preseason vote of the league's head coaches. The Zags received 22 votes in this year's poll, after losing four starters off a squad that went 8-11-1 and 1-6-1 in the conference a year ago.

Fifth-year head coach Amy Edwards returns 14 letterwinners in 2013, including seven starters, and adds 11 newcomers and two returning redshirts. The team is led by seniors Emily Eckmann and Ali Ohashi, along with a strong junior class of Tori Lee, Cricket Harber, Katey Pennington, Kasey Rubosky and Jordan Travis. Rubosky returns as the squad's leader in points and goals, having notched 10 points on four goals and two assists a season ago. Lee is the Bulldogs returning assists leader, having tallied five as a sophomore.

Gonzaga opens the new season hosting the University of Oklahoma in an exhibition contest Sunday, Aug. 18 at 11:30 a.m. The Zags then begin the regular season at Eastern Washington University, Friday, Aug. 23 at 4 p.m.

Santa Clara University was selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2013 WCC title. The Broncos captured all nine possible first place votes, and 81 overall points in the poll.

The University of Portland, a 2012 NCAA Tournament participant, and 2012 West Coast Conference champion Brigham Young University were picked to finish second and third, respectively, in this year's poll. The Pilots earned 68 points and a first place vote, while the Cougars tallied 67 points in the poll.

Pepperdine University garnered 57 points in the survey. The University of San Diego earned 51 points to finish fifth. The Toreros were followed by Loyola Marymount University (38 points), the University of San Francisco (29 points) and Saint Mary's College (26 points), with Gonzaga and WCC newcomer University of the Pacific (10 points) rounding out the survey.

2013 WEST COAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL

2013 PRESEASON ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE TEAM