Air Force women’s soccer has quickly transitioned from hunter to hunted.

A massive rival will be the first to test that new status.

Following the most successful season in decades and with some of the top teams from the conference departed, the Falcons were selected first in the Mountain West preseason coaches’ poll. Air Force earned seven first-place votes and 96 points to become preseason favorites. 

In addition to the preseason poll, three players were named to the 2026 Mountain West Women’s Soccer Watch List: seniors Ava Carpentier and Jordan Dillingham and reigning conference Offensive Player of the Year junior Annika Jost. 

Behind 22 returners and a solid freshman class, the Falcons open against service academy rival Army at Cadet Soccer Stadium at 6 p.m. Thursday.

“While we are flattered to receive (the No. 1 spot). It doesn’t mean a whole lot. It’s how we finish,” coach Laura Busby said in an interview with Air Force Athletics. “Pressure is a privilege, so now we have that target on our backs and have to expect that and live up to it.”

The Black Knights won 2-1 in last year’s matchup at West Point.

Around 1,000 cadets are expected to attend Thursday with hopes of flipping that result. 

The upperclassmen began training two weeks earlier than previous years, making Busby feel good about where they are heading into Thursday’s game. This year’s freshman class adds eight players to an experienced roster, including former Pine Creek midfielder Olivia Jackson. 

“One of the things we’ve been working toward is depth on our roster to fit our playing model,” Busby said in the interview. “I think we achieved that last year, which is why we had the success we had. We returned players who were quite impactful for us last year, so they have another year of experience under their belt in addition to the depth that we have.”

Last season, Air Force (8-7-4) made its first conference tournament appearance since 2017, where it was seeded No. 2 for its highest tournament seed in program history. The Falcons finished the season second in the Mountain West regular season, their best finish since 1995, behind Boise State.

Air Force finished its season with a 1-0 overtime loss to No. 3 Utah State in the MW conference championship. Boise State and Utah State have moved to the Pac-12 Conference, leaving the Falcons as the highest-ranked team. 

The Falcons’ success last season led to the program’s first Mountain West Coach of the Year honor for Busby. Jost was the second Falcon to earn Offensive Player of the Year. 

In a breakout sophomore campaign, Jost started all 18 games and led the league with 25 points, recording 10 goals and five assists. The California native also recorded the program’s first hat trick since 2021 and became the first Falcon in program history to earn College Sports Commission Academic All-America recognition.

Jost was named to the 2026 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I midfielders to watch list while Dillingham was named to the defenders to watch list as one of the top defensive players in the nation. 

Busby’s first win as head coach was a 2-1 win over Army at home in 2022. She remembers the cadets storming the field and the excitement of outlasting the Black Knights after falling behind 1-0. 

The preseason ranking gives the team confidence, but it doesn’t deter the Falcons from sticking to the process.

“We are light years ahead of where we were when I think of that team in 2022,” Busby said in the interview. “To come out on top, as long as we have grit and determination to meet the energy of the match, we are certainly talented enough.”