SAN BRUNO, Calif. --- Portland juniors Benji Michel and Rey Ortiz were selected to the 2018 West Coast Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Team and the Pilots were picked to finish second in the annual vote of the league's eight head coaches. This is the second straight year to land on the all-league preseason team for Michel, and both he and Ortiz were named to the initial MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List earlier this month.
 
As sophomores last fall, Michel and Ortiz landed on the All-WCC First Team and earned all-regional honors. Michel, a forward out of Orlando, Fla., was among the nation's leaders in goals for most of the season, and he ended the year with team-high 10 goals. He also had two assists and 22 points, which was second in the WCC.
 
Ortiz ranked second nationally in assists per game (0.76) and he was third in total assists with 13. A native of Acapulco, Mexico, Ortiz missed matching the program's single-season assist record by one. He also scored six goals, which ranked third in the conference, to give him a league-high 25 points. Following the season Top Drawer Soccer named the midfielder to their Best Top XI Second Team.
 
In the poll, the Pilots landed two first-place votes, and their 41 points are just four behind Pacific, who finished on top with four first-place votes and 44 overall points. Portland enters the season with 12 returning letterwinners, and the Pilots added the nation's No. 3 recruiting class.
 
Saint Mary's and San Diego also nabbed a first-place vote to finish third and fourth in the poll, respectively. San Francisco matched San Diego with 31 points, and the Dons were followed by Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount and Gonzaga.
 
All eight West Coast Conference teams open the 2018 campaign Friday, August 24, which includes Portland's home match against Sacramento State at Merlo Field.
 
2018 WEST COAST CONFERENCE MEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
Team (First Place Votes), Points
1. Pacific (4), 44
2. Portland (2), 41
3. Saint Mary's (1), 32
t4. San Diego (1), 31
t4. San Francisco, 31
6. Santa Clara, 19
7. Loyola Marymount, 16
8. Gonzaga, 10
 
2018 ALL-WCC PRESEASON MEN'S SOCCER TEAM
Name, Institution, Yr., Pos.
Miguel Berry, San Diego, Jr., F
Sean Bowman, San Francisco, Sr., MF
Tariq Branche, Pacific, Jr., F
Santiago Digiuseppe, San Francisco, Sr., MF
Aaron Frey, San Diego, So., D
Henry Lander, San Diego, Jr., D
Benji Michel, Portland, Jr., F
Rey Ortiz, Portland, Jr., MF
Camden Riley, Pacific, Sr., MF
Jake Rudel, Saint Mary's, Jr., F
Wouter Verstraaten, Pacific, Sr., D