LA MIRADA, Calif. --- With the start of the Biola Women's Soccer season two weeks away, the coaches of the PacWest released the conference preseason poll on Tuesday.

The poll projected the Biola Eagles to finish sixth in its first season as a PacWest institution. There are 14 women's soccer teams in the conference.

Head Coach Erin Brunelle's side went 15-2-2 in 2016 and returns three all-conference players from its final season in the NAIA. The squad overall brings a lot of experience; 14 players on the roster logged at least 300 minutes on the pitch last year.

"Right off the bat, being ranked sixth in such a tough conference is flattering," said Brunelle. "It is really encouraging that other schools in the PacWest think we will do well when we have not played them yet."

Azusa Pacific is the reigning PacWest champion with a 9-1-3 record, followed by California Baptist with a 9-2-2 mark. The coaches picked the Cougars and Lancers to finish first and second again this year.

The Eagles begin their campaign on the road with a matchup against NCAA Division II opponent Western Oregon on Aug. 31. They return home for their first contest at Al Barbour Field on Sept. 7 against CSU San Marcos at 7:00 p.m.

Biola begins its conference slate on Sept. 23 in St. George, Utah, against Dixie State.

"We look forward to competing every game and learning from every game as we get a feel for the conference itself," added Brunelle. "We played one of the top teams in the conference last season in California Baptist and walked away with a good [2-1] result. I think that instilled a confidence and belief in our players to want to do well in PacWest play this season."