SAN BRUNO, Calif. --- Portland junior forward Taryn Ries was selected to the 2019 All-West Coast Conference Preseason Team and the Pilots were picked to finish fourth in the annual poll of the league's 10 head coaches. Last year Ries led the Pilots with 15 goals, and she earned all-conference first-team and all-region honors.
A native of Ridgefield, Wash., Ries ranked seventh nationally in both goals and game-winners (6) in 2018, and she led the conference with 33 points. Ries' 15 goals were the most scored by a Pilot in a season since 2009, and she also notched a pair of hat tricks.
No. 13 Santa Clara and Brigham Young each earned five first-place votes in preseason poll and enter as co-favorites to claim the conference title
The Cougars and Broncos both earned 77 points to go with five first-place votes after a season in which both teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Pepperdine came in third in the poll with 65 points, followed by the Pilots with 47 points.
2019 marks the second year at the helm for Portland head coach Michelle French. In her first season, French guided the Pilots to 11 wins, which was more than double the previous year's total. The Pilots also exploded for 30 goals, nearly tripling the goal output from 2017.
Only four points separate teams in the fifth, sixth and seventh spots, beginning with Gonzaga claiming fifth with 44 points. San Francisco takes sixth with 43 points and San Diego comes in seventh with 40 points. LMU garnered 30 points for eighth, while Saint Mary's (18 points) and Pacific (9 points) round out the preseason poll.
The Pilots open the regular season Friday night when they travel to Seattle, Wash., to play the Washington Huskies. Kickoff for the northwest rivals is set for 7 p.m. at Husky Soccer Stadium.
2019 WEST COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
Team (First Place Votes), Points
T1. BYU (5), 77
T1. Santa Clara (5), 77
3. Pepperdine, 65
4. Portland, 47
5. Gonzaga, 44
6. San Francisco, 43
7. San Diego, 40
8. Loyola Marymount, 30
9. Saint Mary's, 18
10. Pacific, 9
2019 ALL-WCC PRESEASON WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM
Name, Institution, Yr., Pos.
Joelle Anderson, Pepperdine, Jr., M/F
Mikayla Colohan, Brigham Young, Jr., M
Elise Flake, Brigham Young, Sr., F
Kelcie Hedge, Santa Clara, R-Jr., F
India Jencks, Gonzaga, R-Sr., M
Alex Loera, Santa Clara, Jr., M
Miciah Madison, San Francisco, Sr., F
Milan Moses, San Diego, R-Sr., M
Isabel Nelson, Pepperdine, So., D
Taryn Ries, Portland, Jr., F
Kelsey Turnbow, Santa Clara, Jr., F