Colorado Picked Fifth in Preseason Poll

SAN FRANCISCO—The Pac-12 coaches anticipate the Colorado soccer team to finish in the top half of the conference, slotting the Buffaloes fifth in Wednesday's preseason coaches poll.

Stanford was picked at the top of the poll, earning six first-place votes. UCLA and Washington State also got first-place votes, coming in second and third, respectively. USC, Colorado and California rounded out the top six.

CU was picked eighth last year and finished with an 8-7-4 record. The last time the Buffs were inside the top-five of the preseason poll was in 2019 (5th).

Additionally, the United Soccer Coaches named fifth-year defender Hannah Sharts as one of its 35 Defenders to Watch List. The lists are being released for the first time this season by the Division I All-America Committees to promote college soccer leading up to the official start date for the regular season later this month. The lists include United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and first or second-team All-Region players from 2021, who are scheduled to return for the 2022 season.

Sharts, one of the team's captains for the 2022 season, returns to the fold with fellow fifth-year Kayleigh Webb. The Buffs have a mix of strong veteran leaders and a solid core of newcomers, including Stanford transfer Civana Kuhlmann.

Colorado opens the season on the Pac-12 Network against Weber State (Aug. 18, 4 p.m. MT). The Buffs will host San Diego (Aug. 21) and Valparaiso (Aug. 26) before heading on the road to take on No. 3 BYU (Aug. 29).

Pac-12 2022 Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Stanford - 116 (6)
2. UCLA - 112 (4)
3. Washington State - 100 (2)
4. USC - 88
5. Colorado - 79
6. California - 70
7. Washington - 52
8. Oregon - 51
9. Utah - 46
10. Arizona State - 41
11. Oregon State - 22
12. Arizona - 15

Players Mentioned

Civana Kuhlmann

Hannah Sharts

Kayleigh Webb

Related Videos