UCI women picked last

The UC Irvine women’s soccer team has been picked to finish last in the nine-team Big West Conference in a preseason poll of coaches.

The Anteaters, guided by first-year coach Scott Juniper, were 1-13-1 last season under Coach April Heinrichs. Juniper, Heinrichs’ top assistant a year ago, was also a former assistant at UC Riverside (2003-05).

UCI was outscored, 22-0, in seven conference losses last season and was shut out 12 times. The Anteaters failed to score in nine of their final 10 games.

UCI was 1-12-1 in 2005.

The Anteaters received 13 points in the coaches poll, in which Long Beach State (77) emerged as the team to beat.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC Santa Barbara (63 points each) are also in the top three.

— From staff reports