SAN BRUNO, Calif. --- Portland senior midfielder Eddie Sanchez was selected to the Preseason All-West Coast Conference Men's Soccer Team and the Pilots were tabbed to finish sixth in the annual vote of the league's eight head coaches. This is Sanchez's third straight selection to the WCC's Preseason Team.
 
Sanchez landed All-West Coast Conference First Team accolades a year ago after leading the Pilots with five goals and two game-winners. Sanchez has been named to the All-WCC First Team all three years on The Bluff, and he was named the league's freshman of the year in 2013.
 
Sanchez leads a group of 10 returning starters and 23 returning letterwinners, which also includes junior Brandon Zambrano, who landed All-WCC Honorable Mention a year ago, and sophomores Reid Baez and Lionel Mills, who both landed on the league's all-freshman team last season.
 
The Pilots are under the guidance of first-year head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt, who was hired to lead the program in January. The former UCLA assistant quickly assembled the No. 17 recruiting class in the nation as seven newcomers come to The Bluff this season. 
 
Santa Clara is the favorite to capture the 2016 WCC crown in what should be a wide-open title race, according the league's eight head coaches. Four of the eight teams received at least one first-place vote for the third time in the last four seasons.
 
The Broncos earned four first-place votes to be named the preseason favorite with 45 points. Defending co-regular season champion San Diego and San Francisco were tied for second in the preseason poll with 38 points each. The Toreros also picked up two first-place votes.
 
Loyola Marymount was surveyed to finish fourth with one first-place vote and 34 points while Saint Mary's earned the final first-place vote for the second consecutive season, finishing fifth in the preseason poll with 27 points. Meanwhile, Portland (21 points), Gonzaga (13 points) and Pacific (8 points) round out the balloting. 
 
All eight West Coast Conference teams open the 2016 campaign Friday, August 26, with the Pilots scheduled to host Wright State at Merlo Field.
 
2016 West Coast Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
Team (First Place Votes) - Points
1. Santa Clara (4) - 45
T2. San Diego (2) - 38
T2. San Francisco - 38
4. Loyola Marymount (1) - 34
5. Saint Mary's (1) - 27
6. Portland - 21
7. Gonzaga - 13
8. Pacific - 8
 
2016 All-WCC Preseason Men's Soccer Team
Name, Institution, Yr., Pos.
Christian Aldama, Pacific, Jr., D
Valdemar Andersen, Santa Clara, Jr., D
Alex Braman, Saint Mary's, Sr., D
Carlos Delgadillo, Santa Clara, Jr., F
David Garrett, San Francisco, Sr., F
Alvaro Madrigal, Loyola Marymount, Jr., F
Davi Ramos, San Francisco, Sr., M
Eddie Sanchez, Portland, Sr., M
Rafael Sanchez, Saint Mary's, Sr., D
Michael Turner, San Diego, Sr., M
Ben White, Gonzaga, Jr., D