SAN BRUNO, Calif. --- The Portland Pilots men’s soccer team was selected to finish fourth this season in the West Coast Conference, according to the preseason poll of the WCC’s seven head coaches. Ryan Kawulok, a senior defender, and Steven Evans, a sophomore midfielder, were also voted to the WCC Preseason All-Conference Team. 

The Loyola Marymount Lions, who clinched a share of the team’s first league title in program history last season, has been selected to repeat as WCC champions this season. The Lions earned six first-place votes and 36 points overall. 

The Pilots, who earned 21 points in the poll, return 18 letterwinners and eight starters from a team that went 9-4-6 last season. Both Kawulok and Evans landed on the All-WCC First Team last fall, while Evans was named the conference freshman of the year. Evans is the top returning scorer for the Pilots after registering four goals and four assists during his freshman campaign. 

San Diego tallied 27 points to finish second, just one point ahead of 2010 NCAA participant Santa Clara. The Broncos finished tied on top of the WCC standings last season with LMU. Saint Mary’s earned one first-place vote and finished fifth with 19 points, while Gonzaga and San Francisco round out the poll in a tie for sixth with nine points each. 

In all, six out of the seven WCC schools are represented on the preseason All-WCC team. LMU, Portland, USD and Santa Clara led the way with two selections each. The 2011 season begins on Friday, August 26, with two teams in action. The following day, the remaining five WCC men’s soccer teams hit the pitch to round out the first weekend of non-conference play. The Pilots are set to open at Oregon State on Aug. 27. 

2011 WCC PRESEASON POLL (First Place Votes)
1. Loyola Marymount (6), 36
2. San Diego, 27
3. Santa Clara, 26
4. Portland, 21
5. Saint Mary’s (1), 19
t6. Gonzaga, 9
t6. San Francisco, 9 

2011 WCC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Name, School, Year, Pos.
Mykell Bates, Santa Clara, Sr., D
Roger Downes, Loyola Marymount, Sr., D
Steven Evans, Portland, So., MF
Doug Herrick, Saint Mary’s, Sr., GK
Erik Hurtado, Santa Clara, Jr., F
Artur Jozkowicz, Loyola Marymount, Sr., F/MF
Ryan Kawulok, Portland, Sr., D
James Matern, Gonzaga, So., MF
Stephen Posa, San Diego, Sr., F
Patrick Wallen, San Diego, Sr., F