NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The UMass women's soccer team has been picked fifth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll, which was released on Wednesday. In voting conducted by the league's 16 head coaches, the Minutewomen received 190 points in the poll, three behind new A-10 member VCU. Dayton was selected to repeat as conference champion, followed by Richmond and La Salle.

The Minutewomen, who are coming off an Atlantic 10 runner-up performance in 2011, return 13 letterwinners, including seven starters and two all-region players in senior goalkeeper Emily Cota and sophomore midfielder Moa Mattsson. The squad opens up the season against pre-season #6 UCLA at home on Aug. 19, the first of four nationally-ranked opponents that UMass will face in its first seven matches.

To begin conference action, the Minutewomen will host Dayton on Sept. 28, a rematch of last season's A-10 final. The 2012 A-10 Women's Soccer Championship with its newly-expanded eight-team field will be held November 1-4 at the University of Rhode Island's Soccer Complex in Kingston, R.I.