UCLA did well to represent the Pac-12 last season as national champions, but overall the conference suffered as no other team made it past the second round. And with this serving as the final season we will ever see of the Pac-12 as currently constructed, there is no telling how results will shake out as teams make a final push at a conference championship. Stanford, UCLA, and USC will be their usually elite selves, but who will step up to become the best outside that group? Here is the Pac-12 women’s soccer preview you need for the 2023 season.

2022 Pac-12 Regular Season Standings:

1. Stanford 9-1-1 (17-2-3) – Second Round

Stanford was solid as ever last season as they won the Pac-12, stringing together nine straight wins after losing the conference opener to USC. But that all came crashing back to earth as they were upset in the second round of the tournament by BYU. And with National Freshman of the Year Elise Evans returning along with several starters on a team that adds another top 3 national recruiting class, Stanford will be back firmly among the elite.

2. UCLA 9-2-0 (22-2-1) – National Champions

Margueritte Aozasa had quite the debut head coach season, leading UCLA to a national championship trophy. And returning many of the starters from that team and further constructing the roster to reflect her wishes with transfers such as U23 International Ayooluwapo Oke, UCLA will return every bit as dominant for this season.

3. USC 8-1-2 (12-3-3) – First Round

As the only team to defeat Stanford and UCLA, Alukonis was another first-year head coach who saw immediate success. But the program did suffer a few vital losses, namely Croix Bethune, who heads back to her home state of Georgia. But with a handful of talented recruits such as Maribel Flores, who won the U20 Concacaf with Mexico, and Kayla Duran, a transfer from Brown and the 2021 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, Alukonis will like her chances to avenge their shocking tournament first-round loss to UC Irvine.

4. California 5-3-3 (10-5-6) – First Round

With a few key transfers leaving the program in Oke and Keely Roy and multiple key graduated seniors, California is in for a bit of a rebuild. Fortunately, they have a top 40 recruiting class and talented returners like Teagan Wy, Karlie Lema, and Noelle Bond-Flasza. Many have this team taking a step back, but with 16 years of experience leading the program, Neil McGuire has insights to make the team more competitive than expected.

5. Arizona State 5-5-1 (9-6-3) – First Round

The Pac-12 tends to be a bit top-heavy at times, and Arizona State benefitted as the best of the rest last season, landing a bid to the NCAA Tournament, which ended in the first round. Unfortunately, with their top three leaders in points graduating, including Pac-12 Forward of the Year, Nicole Douglas, Arizona State is not in an ideal position to take advantage of a potential step back from California and USC.

6. Arizona 5-5-1 (8-7-3)

On the edge of qualifying for the tournament, Arizona probably missed out due to their loss at Arizona State to close the regular season. They will feel they have a golden opportunity to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019 as they return most of their starters, something their direct rivals in the standings cannot say.

7. Washington 4-6-1 (10-6-3)

Washington State has wasted no time replacing its graduating seniors as they bring in a trio of talented graduate transfers. Ioanna Papatheodorou scored ten goals in her First Team All-American East sophomore season at UMass Lowell, Kalea Eichenberger was one of the top freshmen in the Big West, and Megan Nail started 14 games in goal at San Francisco.

8. Utah 2-5-4 (6-7-6)

It has been five years since Utah recorded a winning season, but this fall is as good a chance as any to earn one. They were only a couple wins away last season, and three of their four leaders in points from the season return, as do five of six team leaders in minutes. If the defense is as strong as last season, with clean sheets against California, Arizona State, and Utah, while Taliana Kaufusi scores at the same rate, Utah could make a surprising push for the tournament.

9. Washington State 2-6-3 (8-7-4)

With the 31st-ranked recruiting class in the country, Washington State continues its rebuild from the 2021 team that reached the NCAA Tournament. It seems the days of 2019 when the team advanced to the national semi-final are long gone, but head coach Todd Shulenberger knows what it will take to return to those high points. And as Margie Detrizio returns as one of the best attackers in the region, Washington State will pull off a handful of upsets.

10. Colorado 2-6-3 (8-7-5)

Be on the lookout for Colorado this season. They already scored plenty of goals last season with 42, but conceding 35 was not ideal for their conference hopes. One major step in rectifying that issue is with transfer Jordan Nytes, who returns to her home state after winning Co-Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Year as a freshman at Oklahoma State in the fall. That addition coupled with the 17th-ranked recruiting class in the country, makes Colorado an underrated team.

11. Oregon 2-6-3 (4-8-7)

Oregon had a rough go of conference life as they finished the season on a seven-game winless streak. To make matters worse, they lose Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year and All-American Leah Freeman, who transfers to Duke. If Freeman had that kind of season and the team still finished near the bottom of the standings, it will take gruesome work to manage next season. Fortunately, they have the right coach in Graeme Abel, who took over in 2020 and led Oregon to their first back-to-back winning seasons in four decades.

12. Oregon State 1-8-2 (5-10-4)

Amid a twelve-year NCAA tournament drought, Oregon State has had a rough time in the Pac-12. Next season does not offer much hope, but with conference realignment shortly, the fall could serve as the foundation for a new future. Meanwhile, fans can enjoy the supremely talented McKenna Martinez, who has 22 goals and six assists through her first two collegiate seasons.

 

Top Freshmen to Watch:

Mia Bhuta, Stanford (#4 Ranked TDS Class of 2023)

The U.S. U17 National Team captain comes to college as the perfect mix of a prototypical Stanford star. As an elite talent with outstanding leadership and academic qualities, Bhuta will add to and fit program demands. And not afraid to play talented freshmen, Bhuta could earn a starting spot sooner than expected.

Valerie Vargas, UCLA (#17 Ranked TDS Class of 2023)

As one of the few top-ranked players to compete for another country, Vargas helped Mexico lift the U20 Concacaf trophy following a final victory over the United States. UCLA does not need much help in any position, but no one can say no to an elite talent with championship pedigree.

Maribel Flores, USC (#18 Ranked TDS Class of 2023)

As another member of the U20 Mexico Team that upset the U.S. to win the U20 Concacaf Tournament, Flores is an elite talent that is no stranger to the big stage. The 2022 ECNL Player of the Year is also a two-time ECNL National Champion, most recently a few months ago, where she had an outstanding showing in the final. With replacements needed in the attack, Flores could play a more prominent role than most freshmen.

Reagan Kotschau, Washington State (#45 Ranked TDS Class of 2023)

The 2022 ECNL National Champion and multi-time All-American chose the perfect program in Washington State. She gets to play for an exceptional coaching staff while receiving a legitimate opportunity to play from day one, while Detrizio diverts most of the attention from opposing defenses. That combination of coaching, timing, and opportunity could lead to Pac-12 Freshman of the Year recognition.

Hope Leyba, Colorado (#49 Ranked TDS Class of 2023)

As one of the top forwards in the 2023 class, Leyba fits the physical nature of a typical Colorado team. The team loves to score and score plenty, something Leyba did well throughout her youth career. With an opportunity to join a staff that will utilize her strengths, Leyba could become a freshman standout.

 

Top Players to Watch:

Elise Evans, Stanford

The comparisons to Naomi Girma are obvious as another elite defensive prospect showing potential to become a senior national team member. To match that, Evans will look to help lead Stanford to an NCAA Championship, something the TopDrawerSoccer National Freshman of the Year certainly has the talent to do.

Lilly Reale, UCLA

The Pac-12 Defender of the Year was vital in the UCLA championship down to her leadership and excellence at the core of the defense as she played every minute through the tournament. The most immediate focus is to guide UCLA to a Pac-12 conference championship, something they did not accomplish last season.

Margie Detrizio, Washington State

Detrizio exploded for 17 goal contributions last season, more than the 12 combined from her first two collegiate seasons. That split came from 11 goals and six assists as the Arizona native landed on the All-Pac-12 Second Team. UCLA and Stanford will get all the attention, but Detrizio may be the best player outside of that group.

Simone Jackson, USC

With key transfers leaving the program, Jackson will take on a more prominent role in the USC attack. The All-Pacific Region first-team forward has much to prove ahead of her junior season, as many question if the USC offense will be as potent.

McKenna Martinez, Oregon State

Oregon State may struggle, but Martinez remains a star. Take last fall, where her 12 goals contributions accounted for half of what Oregon State scored. And the year before, she scored 12 as one of the best freshmen in program history. Her junior season will be another opportunity to show that there are plenty of stars in the Pac-12 outside of the big names.