Defending Champion Huskies Picked Third In Big Ten Preseason Coaches’ Poll
August 03, 2026 | Women's Soccer
ROSEMONT, Ill. – A year after claiming the Big Ten double, the Washington women's soccer team has been picked to finish third in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll, voted on by the league's coaches and announced Monday by the conference office.
After being selected ninth in the 2025 edition of the preseason poll, the Huskies took the Big Ten by storm, rattling off a 10-match undefeated streak to open league play to capture Washington's first conference championship in 25 years.
The Huskies doubled down at the Big Ten Tournament, earning wins over Illinois and Wisconsin before defeating Michigan State on penalty kicks to become the first Big Ten team to win the conference's regular season and tournament titles outright since 2013.
Washington's surge continued into the NCAA Tournament, where the Huskies advanced past Montana, No. 4 Arkansas and No. 7 Virginia to reach the Elite Eight for the third time in program history.
In addition to the preseason coaches' poll, the Big Ten also released its "Players to Watch" list on Monday, with UW's Alex Buck, Tanner Ijams and Lucy Newlin selected.
Buck, a United Soccer Coaches All-America and First Team All-Big Ten forward in 2025, led the Huskies in points (23), goals (9) and assists (5). All nine of Buck's goals were scored after the start of Big Ten play, the most of any conference player.
Ijams, who was bestowed with TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI honors, posted 11 solo clean sheets during her first season in between the posts for the Dawgs, tying the program single-season record. Ijams finished the season with a 0.67 goals against average, the fourth-lowest all-time by a UW keeper.
Newlin enters her fifth season at Washington in 2026, serving as a multi-year captain and a rock in the middle of the park for the Huskies. Newlin, who led the Big Ten with 2,168 minutes in 2025, has appeared in 60 matches over four seasons for Washington, making 51 starts and posting 11 points on three goals and five assists.
Washington hits the pitch for the first time on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 3:00 p.m. PT for an exhibition against British Columbia before kicking off the regular season at Husky Soccer Stadium on Aug. 12, facing Portland at 7:00 p.m. Admission to this Wednesday's exhibition is free of charge.
For news, scores, highlights and more, download the Go Huskies app on your mobile device. Follow @UW_WSoccer on Instagram, X, Threads, Facebook and TikTok and subscribe to UW Athletics on YouTube for the latest on the Dawgs.
After being selected ninth in the 2025 edition of the preseason poll, the Huskies took the Big Ten by storm, rattling off a 10-match undefeated streak to open league play to capture Washington's first conference championship in 25 years.
The Huskies doubled down at the Big Ten Tournament, earning wins over Illinois and Wisconsin before defeating Michigan State on penalty kicks to become the first Big Ten team to win the conference's regular season and tournament titles outright since 2013.
Washington's surge continued into the NCAA Tournament, where the Huskies advanced past Montana, No. 4 Arkansas and No. 7 Virginia to reach the Elite Eight for the third time in program history.
In addition to the preseason coaches' poll, the Big Ten also released its "Players to Watch" list on Monday, with UW's Alex Buck, Tanner Ijams and Lucy Newlin selected.
Buck, a United Soccer Coaches All-America and First Team All-Big Ten forward in 2025, led the Huskies in points (23), goals (9) and assists (5). All nine of Buck's goals were scored after the start of Big Ten play, the most of any conference player.
Ijams, who was bestowed with TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI honors, posted 11 solo clean sheets during her first season in between the posts for the Dawgs, tying the program single-season record. Ijams finished the season with a 0.67 goals against average, the fourth-lowest all-time by a UW keeper.
Newlin enters her fifth season at Washington in 2026, serving as a multi-year captain and a rock in the middle of the park for the Huskies. Newlin, who led the Big Ten with 2,168 minutes in 2025, has appeared in 60 matches over four seasons for Washington, making 51 starts and posting 11 points on three goals and five assists.
Washington hits the pitch for the first time on Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 3:00 p.m. PT for an exhibition against British Columbia before kicking off the regular season at Husky Soccer Stadium on Aug. 12, facing Portland at 7:00 p.m. Admission to this Wednesday's exhibition is free of charge.
For news, scores, highlights and more, download the Go Huskies app on your mobile device. Follow @UW_WSoccer on Instagram, X, Threads, Facebook and TikTok and subscribe to UW Athletics on YouTube for the latest on the Dawgs.
Players Mentioned
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