Richardson, Tx - Coach Marcus Wood's Hardin-Simmons University women's soccer team has been tabbed to repeat as American Southwest Conference champions, if so it would be their fifth straight league title. Sophomore forward Amy Kuykendall was named the preseason ASC offensive player of the year.

HSU, which will also be looking for a fifth consecutive ASC Championship Tournament victory in 2007, picked up 25 of the possible 28 first-place votes in the annual poll and totaled 389 points. HSU enters the season ranked No. 4 in the country by D3kicks.com and No. 6 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

University of Texas at Dallas was picked for a second place finish with 248 points and two first place votes. The Comets went 14-4-2 last season and took the Cowgirls to overtime in the ASC Championship Tournament. UTD is the last team other than HSU to win the conference title, doing so in 2002. University of Texas at Tyler, which becomes eligible for postseason play after serving as an NCAA provisional the last four seasons, was picked to finish third with 345 points. The Patriots picked up the remaining top-spot vote.

Texas Lutheran University was the only other squad to garner more than 300 points and landed in the fourth-place spot (314 points). Mississippi College (277) and LeTourneau University (221) rounded out the top six spots, which would be the cutoff point for berths in the ASC Championship Tournament. East Texas Baptist, Mary Hardin-Baylor, University of the Ozarks, Schreiner, McMurry, Howard Payne, Louisiana College and Concordia rounded out the poll.

Kuykendall had 26 goals and 22 assists as a freshman. She was named All-American. Her 22 assists led the NCAA a year ago. HSU is riding an 86-match unbeaten streak in ASC action.

Chad Grubbs