Uphill battle for Anteaters

The UC Irvine women’s soccer team has been picked to finish last in

the eight-team Big West Conference in the coaches’ preseason poll.

Costa Mesa High product Sharon Day, one of three first-team

all-conference returners for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, is expected to

help the Mustangs contend for their sixth Big West crown in seven

seasons.

Cal Poly, 11-2-6, 5-1-3 in conference last season, received 57

points to edge Cal State Fullerton (54) atop the poll.

UCI, which was 4-14-1, 1-8 in conference a year ago, received 13

points in the coaches’ voting.

Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara tied for third (42),

followed by Cal State Northridge (30), University of the Pacific

(29), UC Riverside (21) and UCI.

Day, who won the NCAA high jump title last spring as a sophomore,

was one of the conference’s most productive offensive soccer

performers last season.

The former Orange County Female Athlete of the Year, who was

Freshman of the Year in the Big West in soccer in 2003, had 11 goals

and one assist (23 points) to lead the Mustangs last season.

Day helped Cal Poly win its third straight Big West championship

last season.

The Big West enters its first season as an eight-team conference

with the departure of Idaho and Utah State.

UCI played its alumni Sunday. Coach Marine Cano’s Anteaters open

the season Friday at 7:30 p.m. at San Jose State.