We’re going to do our preview for the Long Beach State women’s soccer team in the coming weeks as we get closer to the opener, but yesterday the coaches told us what we already know… 

Everyone in the Big West will be looking up at UC Santa Barbara, including the 49ers.
 
Long Beach was picked to finish second in the Big West Conference. The 49ers received two first-place votes and 67 total points in the 2009 preseason poll as selected by the conference’s head coaches.

UC Santa Barbara (who is just like Long Beach last year, experienced and talented) was projected to win the Big West title, claiming five first-place nods and 75 points overall. Cal Poly (65) and Pacific (53) each tallied one first-place vote as they finished third and fourth, respectively.

Rounding out the preseason poll were Cal State Northridge (33), Cal State Fullerton (32), UC Irvine (31), UC Davis (28) and UC Riverside (21).

The 49ers have won the last three Big West Conference regular season titles and are coming off a 14-5-4 season that culminated in the program’s first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Despite losing five first-team all-conference selections to graduation, The Beach returns 12 letterwinners, including reigning Big West Midfielder of the Year Lindsay Bullock, who led the 2008 squad in scoring with 10 goals.

Long Beach State opens its 2009 slate on Sunday, Aug. 23, when it welcomes Fresno State to George Allen Field for a 3 p.m. non-conference showdown.

2009 Big West Conference Preseason Poll

    School (First-place votes)    Points

1.   UC Santa Barbara (5)          75

2.   Long Beach State (2)          67

3.   Cal Poly (1)                        65

4.   Pacific (1)                          53

5.   Cal State Northridge           33

6.   Cal State Fullerton             32

7.   UC Irvine                           31

8.   UC Davis                          28

9.   UC Riverside                     21

Report By LBSU Sports Information Department