By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University women's soccer team, which finished third in the Northwest Conference standings in 2015, has been picked to finish third again this season in the NWC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll. Voting was by the NWC head coaches.

Defending champion University of Puget Sound was chosen to repeat as the NWC champion. Pacific Lutheran University was picked to take second place. Puget Sound received five of nine first place votes, while PLU was listed first on the remaining four ballots.

Puget Sound won the 2014 NWC Championship with a 12-0-4 record (49 points). Pacific Lutheran was second at 11-3-2 (35 points) and Willamette was third with with a 9-6-1 record (28 points).

In the NWC Preseason Poll for 2016, Puget Sound garnered 66 points to edge out PLU for first place. The Lutes followed with 64 points. Last year, the Loggers finished with a 17-0-5 overall record, while PLU went 15-3-2.

Willamette received 44 points in the preseason poll to hold third place, just one point in front of Linfield College, which earned 43 points for fourth place. The Bearcats registered a 9-9-2 overall record a year ago, while Linfield achieved a 10-5-4 record.

Listed fifth in the poll was Lewis & Clark College with 32 points. The Pioneers were 7-8-1 in the NWC and 11-8-1 overall in 2015. Whitman College was one point behind L&C in the poll with 31 points for sixth place. Whitman finished last season at 3-7-6 in the NWC and 3-11-6 overall.

Whitworth University placed seventh in the poll with 24 points. Last fall, the Pirates attained a 4-9-3 record in conference play and a 6-11-3 record for the season.

Eighth place in the poll went to George Fox University with 17 points, while Pacific Univrsity placed ninth with 13 points. GFU was 3-12-1 in the NWC last season, while going 5-13-1 overall. The Boxers of Pacific went 4-10-2 in the NWC in 2015. They finished 4-14-2 on the season.

Willamette will host Evergreen State College in an exhibition game on Saturday, Aug. 27 at Sparks Field. The game will start at 4 p.m. (PDT).

The Bearcats are scheduled to open the regular season on Thursday, Sept. 1 at Northwest Christian University in Eugene, Oregon. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. Willamette's regular season home opener is set for Sunday, Sept. 4 against Warner Pacific College at 5 p.m.

Last year's top scorer, Kelsey Walker (Jr., M/GK, Westerville, OH/Westerville North HS) returns for the Bearcats after providing five goals and 10 total points in 2015. She also led the team with 43 total shots and 22 shots on goal. Four of her goals were game-winners.

Also returning are Kinsey Keene (Sr., F, Eagle, ID/Eagle HS) and Marley Duncan (Jr., F, Pukalani, HI/Kamehameha School), who each finished with two goals and one assist last season. Goalkeeper Emily Sewall (Sr., GK, Petaluma, CA/Casa Grande HS) is back after recording a 0.91 goals against average and eight shutouts in 2015.

Head Coach Hillary Arthur is in her ninth season with the Bearcats. She has led Willamette to four third-place finishes in the NWC.

2016 NWC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll (1st place votes in parentheses)
1. Puget Sound (5), 66 points, 17-0-5 overall, 12-0-4 NWC in 2015
2. Pacific Lutheran (4), 64 points, 15-3-2, 11-3-2 NWC
3. Willamette, 44 points, 9-9-2, 9-6-1 NWC
4. Linfield, 43 points, 10-5-4, 7-5-4 NWC
5. Lewis & Clark, 32 points, 11-8-1, 7-8-1 NWC
6. Whitman, 31 points, 3-11-6, 3-7-6 NWC
7. Whitworth, 24 points, 6-11-3, 4-9-3 NWC
8. George Fox, 17 points, 5-13-1, 3-12-1 NWC
9. Pacific, 13 points, 4-14-2, 4-10-2 NWC

Note: Points were awarded on a 9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.