The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference announced its 2026 preseason women's soccer All‑RMAC team, revealing a blend of veteran talent and emerging prospects across the league.
All‑RMAC Selections
Natsuki Murakami, a 2025 first‑team All‑RMAC honoree, earned a spot on the preseason list after a standout 2025 campaign in which she started 16 of 18 games and contributed eight points from four goals and two assists.
Murakami’s scoring record shows consistency: she tallied three goals and eight total points in the 2024 season, tying for the team lead, and over her career she has recorded eight goals and three assists in 50 appearances, converting both of her penalty kicks.
Mountaineers’ Position in the Coaches' Poll
In the 2026 preseason coaches' poll, Western Colorado finished 10th with 47 points, positioned behind Colorado School of Mines (134 points), Colorado Mesa University (132 points) and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (131 points).
The team’s placement reflects a pattern of near‑misses: Western Colorado has finished ninth in the regular‑season standings for each of the past four seasons and has fallen just one spot short of the RMAC postseason tournament each year.
Looking Forward
The program hopes to leverage Murakami’s experience and leadership to shift the trajectory that has kept the Mountaineers from breaking into the upper tier of the conference. Building on a foundation of consistent ninth‑place finishes, the squad aims to translate individual recognition into collective success.