DENVER ? Defending Western Athletic Conference women’s soccer champion Nevada has been chosen in a poll by the league’s coaches to defend their 2007 WAC crown as it looks to become back-to-back champions for the first time in school history.
The Wolf Pack received four of the eight first-place votes with Fresno State and Utah State each earning the other two. Nevada earned 45 total points followed by the 2006 regular-season champion Fresno State with 37. In a tight race at the middle of the pack, Utah State was picked third with 34 points, closely pursued by fourth-place pick San Jose State with 33 and fifth-place selection Hawai’i with 32. Boise State finished in sixth place with 20 points with Idaho earning 14 points, good for seventh. Louisiana Tech under the direction of new head coach Kevin Sherry was picked eighth with nine points.
Nevada ended the 2006 season with a 13-5-4 mark, its best overall record in program history, and earned its first-ever WAC Tournament title. The Wolf Pack fell to No. 23 Stanford in the opening round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament, and was one of ten teams making their first appearance in the tournament. Nevada returns 14 members from its 2006 NCAA Tournament team including all-WAC honorees defenders Jessica Wilcox and Randee Robinson, midfielder Miranda Montejo, and forwards Samantha Miller and Karen Zmirak. The Wolf Pack’s 2007 newcomers were also named the best incoming class in the WAC by Soccer Buzz.
The 2007 WAC season is set to kickoff August 31 with all eight teams in action. The WAC Soccer Tournament heads to the Boas Soccer Complex in Boise, Idaho after playing the 2006 Championship in Reno. The six-team tournament will be held November 8-11.
2007 WAC Coaches' Poll
|
Rank
|
Team (1st Place Votes)
|
Points
|
1.
|
Nevada (4)
|
45
|
2.
|
Fresno State (2)
|
37
|
3.
|
Utah State (2)
|
34
|
4.
|
San Jose State
|
33
|
5.
|
Hawai’i
|
32
|
6.
|
Boise State
|
20
|
7.
|
Idaho
|
14
|
8.
|
Louisiana Tech
|
9
|