IRVINE, Calif. – The Chaminade University women's soccer team was picked to finish sixth in the Pacific West Conference Preseason Poll as selected by the conference coaches.
The Silverswords received 60 points, 10 behind Westmont College, the newest member of the PacWest picked to finish fifth, and 11 ahead of Biola.
In one of the closest tallies in conference history, Concordia was barely chosen to capture the title with 109 points, just two ahead of defending champion Hawai'i Hilo. Both the Golden Eagles and Vulcans received four first-place votes. The remaining three top votes went to Point Loma, third with 103 points.
UH Hilo had two players on the preseason awards list with Teani Arakawa as Preseason Player of the Year and Phoebe Barnes as Goalkeeper of the Year. Point Loma's Emma Thrapp was voted as the Preseason Defender of the Year.
The Silverswords, who played their final exhibition tune-up against Lincoln University from Oakland, California, on Wednesday, opens their regular season Saturday at Saint Louis Field against Northwest Nazarene, the runners-up of the Great Northwest Athletic Association.
2023 PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll
| # |
Team (1st Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Concordia (4) |
109 |
| 2 |
Hawai'i Hilo (4) |
107 |
| 3 |
Point Loma (3) |
103 |
| 4 |
Azusa Pacific |
86 |
| 5 |
Westmont |
70 |
| 6 |
CHAMINADE |
60 |
| 7 |
Biola |
49 |
| 8 |
Fresno Pacific |
46 |
| 9 |
Hawai'i Pacific |
44 |
| 10 |
Dominican |
38 |
| 11 |
Academy of Art |
14 |
