Stanford, UC-Berkeley, and Washington earned the region's bids last year, and they are each in the running for the spots again. Joining them in contention are British Columbia, Oregon, and UC-Davis. Of course, the next tier of teams could potentially have an upset or two up its sleeve. These teams include UC-Santa Cruz, Pacific Lutheran, and Humboldt State. In addition to the intense level of competition in the region, the NW is rapidly growing with a number of new programs emerging. This growth is anticipated to continue with the expected addition of new teams in every section.

After winning the championship title last season and graduating few of its starters, Stanford remains the favorite to take the region. Lead by a trio of fifth year players, Callahan runner-up Enessa Janes, Lauren Casey and Hannah Griego, this team has the athleticism, experience, and depth to stay on top this season. After Stanford as the number one spot, the crystal ball is a little murkier for most other predictions.

Although Washington met Stanford in the finals last season, UW graduated most of its core players. Melina Coogan and Lisa Niemann are left to lead the way, and they are joined by two outstanding freshman with junior experience: Claire Suver and Jenny Abbeg. While these four women are top players, the depth of the roster could be a limiting factor during the season.

UC-Berkeley made quarterfinals of the championships last year behind the leadership of now-ineligible graduate student Kath Ratcliff. While Ratcliff's shoes will be hard to fill in the backfield, Berkeley has 15 returners and two of the fastest players out there: Amanda Leahy and Darragh Clancy. A savvy coaching staff should enable this team to come together by the time Regionals rolls around.

Last year was a bit of a rebuilding year for British Columbia. After a number of players gained experience during the club season, this year UBC should be one of the more competitive teams in the region. Additionally, confident players Kira Frew and Megan O'Brien will be tough for any defender to contain while UBC runs its isolation offense.

Oregon barely missed qualifying for the UPA Championships last season, and although the team graduated its top three players, there still remains a solid crew of players to take the helm. Handlers Tobey Beaver and Lauren Prince are joined by juniors stand-out Molly Suver while Cheri Young will lead the defensive charge. Of note is that Oregon was one of the few competitive teams in the nation that played without a coach last year.

Santa Cruz was one of the top teams in the region last year, but it graduated most of its experienced players. Although this season could be a rebuilding year, the team still has competitors Tegwyn Lewis-Pine and Lillian Berla to lead the way. Pacific Lutheran is also a team that could surprise folks. Behind the disc skills of Schwa player Laurel Williams, PLU has been on the rise the past few seasons and could have a break-out year in 2006. Humboldt State is another darkhorse. The team had a strong showing at many Northwest fall tournaments, including Sean Ryan where the team made semifinals.