OGDEN, Utah — The Portland State women's soccer team was picked as the co-favorite within the Big Sky Conference for the upcoming 2013 season, as the team topped the preseason coaches' poll, released Wednesday, along with Idaho State.
 
Portland State, the two-time defending Big Sky regular season champions, and Idaho State each received 68 points in the poll, three points ahead of Montana in third. Idaho State received the most first-place votes of any team in the poll with four.
 
The Vikings will have to rely on their youth to fulfill their role as co-favorites, as 18 of the team's 26 players will be underclassmen this season.

The Vikings were also picked as the conference favorites last season, and backed it up by sharing the Big Sky regular season title (6-2-1 Big Sky), the program's third conference title in the five seasons since head coach Laura Schott took over the program..
 
PSU begins play in the Big Sky on Sept. 27, when they host Northern Colorado at 1 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium.
 
The team will play eight non-conference games before that, including two exhibitions in the Portland area to start the season. The Vikings play their first exhibition on the road against Concordia University (Ore.) Aug. 14 at 11 a.m. The team then plays at the University of Portland Aug. 17 at 7 p.m.
 
Portland State opens the counting portion of its schedule Aug. 23, with a road match at 5 p.m. against the University of Oregon. The Vikings then play their home opener Aug. 25 against Marquette University at 10 a.m. at Hillsboro Stadium.