Emma Egizii
UCLA Selected No. 1 in Big Ten Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
August 13, 2024 | Women's Soccer
In its inaugural season in the Big Ten Conference, the UCLA women's soccer team has been selected by the coaches as the No. 1 team in the preseason poll.
The Bruins bring 14 conference championships, including three in the last four years, to the Big Ten. In 2023, UCLA posted a 16-2-1 overall record and was 10-0-1 in conference play. The year prior, UCLA recorded a 22-2-1 mark and won its second NCAA title.
In addition to UCLA and USC earning NCAA Tournament bids a year ago, the Big Ten sent a record nine schools to the postseason, including Big Ten Tournament winner Iowa, regular season co-champions Michigan State and Nebraska, and perennial tournament participants Penn State, who earned its 29th consecutive berth.
UCLA will host three of the Top 10-ranked teams this season, welcoming No. 2 Penn State on Oct. 17, No. 6 Wisconsin on Sept. 26 and No. 9 Ohio State on Oct. 20. The Penn State and Wisconsin matchups will be televised live on Big Ten Network. UCLA's first-ever Big Ten game will take place on Sept. 14 at Oregon.
The Big Ten Conference also announced its Players to Watch List. Included in the list are graduate midfielder Meg Boade, senior midfielder Emma Egizii and senior defender Lilly Reale.
Boade was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2022 and 2023 at Northwestern. She broke the school single-season assists record a year ago with 14 assists, ranking second in the nation with a 0.78 assists per game average. Boade, a 2023 all-region honoree, was named to the 2024 NCAA Division I Players to Watch List for midfielders.
Egizii started 13 games for the Bruins last season and totaled two goals, including the game-winner against Oregon State. The skillful midfielder played in 11 games during UCLA's 2022 NCAA title run after missing all but one game in 2021 due to a season-ending injury.
Reale is a two-time All-American, two-time Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year and three-time first-team all-region and all-conference selection. In 2022, she won the Honda Sport Award and was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player at the NCAA College Cup. The Bruins' center back has started 61 games in her career, contributing to 33 shutouts. Reale was also named to the 2024 NCAA Division I Players to Watch List for defenders and to Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Best XI First Team.
2024 Big Ten Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. UCLA
2. Penn State
3. Michigan State
4. Nebraska
5. USC
6. Wisconsin
7. Rutgers
8. Iowa
9. Ohio State
10. Indiana
11. Michigan
12. Northwestern
13. Washington
14. Minnesota
15. Illinois
16. Purdue
17. Maryland
18. Oregon
The Bruins bring 14 conference championships, including three in the last four years, to the Big Ten. In 2023, UCLA posted a 16-2-1 overall record and was 10-0-1 in conference play. The year prior, UCLA recorded a 22-2-1 mark and won its second NCAA title.
In addition to UCLA and USC earning NCAA Tournament bids a year ago, the Big Ten sent a record nine schools to the postseason, including Big Ten Tournament winner Iowa, regular season co-champions Michigan State and Nebraska, and perennial tournament participants Penn State, who earned its 29th consecutive berth.
UCLA will host three of the Top 10-ranked teams this season, welcoming No. 2 Penn State on Oct. 17, No. 6 Wisconsin on Sept. 26 and No. 9 Ohio State on Oct. 20. The Penn State and Wisconsin matchups will be televised live on Big Ten Network. UCLA's first-ever Big Ten game will take place on Sept. 14 at Oregon.
The Big Ten Conference also announced its Players to Watch List. Included in the list are graduate midfielder Meg Boade, senior midfielder Emma Egizii and senior defender Lilly Reale.
Boade was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2022 and 2023 at Northwestern. She broke the school single-season assists record a year ago with 14 assists, ranking second in the nation with a 0.78 assists per game average. Boade, a 2023 all-region honoree, was named to the 2024 NCAA Division I Players to Watch List for midfielders.
Egizii started 13 games for the Bruins last season and totaled two goals, including the game-winner against Oregon State. The skillful midfielder played in 11 games during UCLA's 2022 NCAA title run after missing all but one game in 2021 due to a season-ending injury.
Reale is a two-time All-American, two-time Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year and three-time first-team all-region and all-conference selection. In 2022, she won the Honda Sport Award and was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player at the NCAA College Cup. The Bruins' center back has started 61 games in her career, contributing to 33 shutouts. Reale was also named to the 2024 NCAA Division I Players to Watch List for defenders and to Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Best XI First Team.
2024 Big Ten Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. UCLA
2. Penn State
3. Michigan State
4. Nebraska
5. USC
6. Wisconsin
7. Rutgers
8. Iowa
9. Ohio State
10. Indiana
11. Michigan
12. Northwestern
13. Washington
14. Minnesota
15. Illinois
16. Purdue
17. Maryland
18. Oregon
Players Mentioned
Highlights - UCLA W. Soccer vs. Pepperdine (Nov. 15, 2025)
Sunday, November 16
Highlights - UCLA W. Soccer vs. Penn State (Nov. 1, 2025)
Saturday, November 01
Highlights - UCLA W. Soccer vs. Nebraska (Oct. 19, 2025)
Sunday, October 19
Highlights - UCLA W. Soccer vs. Iowa (Oct. 16, 2025)
Friday, October 17