COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado College, which won a share of its first Conference USA regular-season crown a year ago, has been picked as the favorite for the upcoming 2013 campaign in ballot of the league’s head coaches.

The Tigers edged out Rice, which tied CC with an 8-2-1 record in league play last year, in the new poll. North Texas, one of C-USA’s eight new members, finished third, followed by Tulsa and Florida International. The complete rankings were not released per request of the coaches.

The first four teams in the poll all compete in the West Division, along with Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, UTEP and UTSA. 

The East Division consists of FIU, Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Middle Tennessee, Marshall, Old Dominion and UAB.

CC returns seven starters and 19 veterans from last season’s squad that posted a 14-4-5 overall record and earned the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006.

Included among the veterans are two-time C-USA Midfielder of the Year and first-team all-conference selection Jessie Ayers, who paced the team with seven goals and was second with 18 points.

The midfield will be fortified by senior Madison Whitehead, who posted career highs of six goals and 13 points during the 2012 season when she was a second-team all-league selection.

Senior Kecia Morway, who was listed among the league’s 16 Players to Watch, will anchor the Colorado College defense. The Tigers recorded 10 shutouts and a stingy 0.82 goals-against average a year ago, but must identify replacements for three starters. 

The top five teams from each division will qualify for the 2013 Conference USA Championship scheduled for Nov. 4-10 at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

CC officially kicks off the season on Aug. 23 at the University of Denver in the opening game of the Third Annual Colorado Cup.