RICHARDSON, Texas –– Hardin-Simmons University was the choice of all 14 head coaches and 14 sports information directors polled to win the American Southwest Conference season championship in women’s soccer, the conference office announced on Wednesday.

A correct prediction would mean a fourth straight conference title for head coach Marcus Wood and the Cowgirls, who are fresh off a 20-2-0 season in which they reached the second round of the NCAA Division III championship tournament and led all of D-III in goals scored (106).

HSU has won 18 of its last 19 games –– the last loss being a 3-2 setback in overtime to Trinity University (Texas) that ended the Cowgirls’ season as well as a string of nine shutouts. HSU enters the season ranked No. 18 in the country by D3kicks.com and No. 22 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

University of Texas at Dallas, whose only conference loss last season came from Hardin-Simmons, was just 29 points behind the Cowgirls with 363 –– receiving all but one second-place vote. The Comets were the only other program in the ASC to get votes in D3kicks.com’s top 25 poll.

East Texas Baptist University, which went 13-7-1 in 2005 and reached the semifinals of the ASC championship tournament, was the third choice with 307 points.

University of Texas at Tyler (300 pts.), Mississippi College (271 pts.), Texas Lutheran University (249 pts.), University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (219 pts.), LeTourneau University (218 pts.), University of Ozarks (175 pts.) and McMurry University (121 pts.) rounded out the top-10 spots.

Schreiner University (102 pts.) was in the 11th slot, followed by Concordia University at Austin (88 pts.), first-year program Howard Payne University (73 pts.) and Louisiana College (67 pts.).

Austin College, which finished in fourth place last season with a 10-2-1 mark, is no longer a member of the conference.

ASC women’s soccer teams begin the 2006 season as early as September 1. The ASC championship tournament is slated for November 3-5 at the site of the conference’s No. 1 seed with the top six seeded squads vying for the title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III championship tournament.

2006 PRESEASON WOMEN’S SOCCER COACHES POLL