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. Head coach Marcus Wood’s Cowgirls are fresh off an 18-1-5 season in which they shattered numerous ASC offensive records and reached the section final of the NCAA championships.

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 University (215 points) was picked seventh, followed by University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (212), University of the Ozarks (173), Schreiner University (132), McMurry University (109), Howard Payne University (81), Louisiana College (65) and Concordia University Texas (59 pts.).

ASC women’s soccer teams begin the 2007 season as early as Aug. 31. The ASC tournament is slated for November 2-4 at the site of the conference champion with an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III championship tournament on the line.

1. Hardin-Simmons (25).............. 389.............. 18-1-5, 12-0-1 ASC

2. Texas-Dallas (2)..................... 348.............. 14-4-2, 11-1-1 ASC

3. Texas-Tyler (1)....................... 345...............12-4-1, 10-2-1 ASC

4. Texas Lutheran....................... 314.............. 14-6-0, 10-3-0 ASC

5. Mississippi College ................. 277.................14-6-0, 9-4-0 ASC

6. LeTourneau .............................221.................10-8-2, 8-4-1 ASC

7. East Texas Baptist ................... 215................ 11-7-2, 7-4-2 ASC

8. Mary Hardin-Baylor .................. 212.................7-10-1, 5-7-1 ASC

9. Ozarks ................................... 173................ 7-10-2, 4-9-0 ASC

10. Schreiner ............................... 132.............. 3-14-0, 3-10-0 ASC

11. McMurry................................. 109................ 5-10-1, 4-8-1 ASC

12. Howard Payne ......................... 81.............. 1-16-0, 1-12-0 ASC

13. Louisiana College .................... 65...............2-15-1, 2-11-0 ASC

14. Concordia Texas ...................... 59.............. 2-13-1, 1-12-0 ASC