Aug. 12, 2008
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The San Diego State women's soccer team was picked to finish in a tie for third place with Utah in the Mountain West Conference, the league office announced Tuesday. The Aztecs and Utes each received 36 points in the 2008 preseason poll as selected by the conference's head coaches.
Brigham Young was projected to win the MWC regular-season championship with 49 points, garnering seven of eight first-place votes in the process. The other first-place vote went to UNLV, which was tabbed for second with 39 points, followed by SDSU (36) and Utah (36), TCU (24) and New Mexico (17). Meanwhile, Wyoming and Air Force rounded out the poll with 16 and 7 points, respectively.
In 2007, SDSU was predicted to finish fourth, but defied the preseason prognostication with a second-place showing after compiling a 4-2-1 league record and a 9-8-3 mark overall.
The Aztecs, under second-year head coach Mike Friesen, return 17 letterwinners and seven starters, including last season's MWC defensive player and freshman of the year Aubree Southwick, who also received second-team freshman All-America honors from Soccer Buzz at the goalkeeper position.
After opening the season with road games at Cal State Northridge (Aug. 22) and Cal Poly (Aug. 29), San Diego State will make its 2008 home debut on Sunday, Aug. 31, when it squares off against Arizona State at the SDSU Sports Deck with a 1 p.m. kickoff.
2008 Mountain West Conference Women's Soccer Preseason PollPl. Team (First-place votes) Points1. Brigham Young (7) 492. UNLV (1) 39T3. San Diego State 36T3. Utah 365. TCU 246. New Mexico 177. Wyoming 168. Air Force 7