Cougars picked for fourth straight WCC title

PROVO, Utah – Junior forwards Ashley Hatch and Michele Murphy Vasconcelos were named to the 2015 All-WCC Preseason Women’s Soccer Team, while No. 19 BYU women’s soccer was picked to finish first in the West Coast Conference with eight first place votes.

This is the second All-WCC Preseason Team honor for both Hatch and Vasconcelos. Hatch was picked for the team in 2014 and went on to earn Player of the Year honors in the WCC. Vasconcelos was selected to the team in 2013 after being named the WCC Freshman of the Year in 2012. Both players earned All-WCC First Team honors in 2014.

Hatch scored 18 goals and made six assists last year, including 11 goals and three assists in WCC play. Vasconcelos scored six goals and made six assists in her return from knee surgery in 2013.

Vasconcelos and Hatch are two of the three forwards selected to the team. San Francisco and Santa Clara are the only other teams with two selections to the All-WCC Preseason Team.

The three-time defending WCC champion Cougars were picked to make it four this fall. BYU received eight of nine first place votes for 79 points, 10 better than second place Santa Clara. This is the second straight year the Cougars have been picked to win the conference. 

The preseason poll and All-WCC team is determined by a vote of the league’s 10 head coaches where coaches can’t vote for their own team or players.

BYU hosts Arizona in an exhibition Saturday at 7 p.m. on South Field before the Cougars open their season in Hawaii against Cal on Aug. 21.

2015 All-WCC Preseason Team

2015 WCC Presason Coaches Poll