CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Western Michigan Women's soccer team was picked first in the annual Mid-American Conference preseason poll, which was announced by the league this afternoon. The Broncos paced the 12-team league with eight first place votes and 116 overall points. 

Rounding out the poll were Ball State (101 points), Ohio (90), Kent State (88), Buffalo (86), Bowling Green (84), Northern Illinois (60), Toledo (50), Miami (47), Eastern Michigan (29), Akron (23) and Central Michigan (18). WMU also led the way with six votes to win the conference tournament in November. Ball State, Buffalo, Kent State and Bowling Green also received votes to win the tournament. 

Western Michigan is the reigning MAC Champions, finishing the regular season with an unblemished conference record. The title marked the first regular season championship in program history, and the Broncos became just the fifth team to finish the conference regular season with an undefeated record. 

WMU will look to become the seventh team in league history to win back-to-back regular season championships. Helping to achieve that will be the return of the Broncos' top four offensive players from last season. Jen Blitchok led the way in goals, assists and points to earn First Team All-MAC honors, while Jenna Blackburn, Abby Werthman and Emily Pagett return after combining to score 45 points on 15 goals and 15 assists. 

The Broncos kick off their season on Thursday at home against Northern Kentucky. The game begins at 4 PM at the WMU Soccer Complex. The Brown and Gold open the MAC season on the road against Ohio on Sept. 19. The MAC Tournament is set for Nov. 3 (Quarterfinals), Nov. 7 (Semifinals) and Nov. 10 (Championship).