KANSAS CITY, Ks. —The University of West Florida women’s soccer team , coming off an outstanding 2008 record setting season, will begin their 2009 campaign ranked as the No. 2 team in the nation listed by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The Argos finished up last season ranked No. 2 by falling 1-0 to Seattle Pacific University in the NCAA Division II National Championship match.

The 2009 squad returns 10 of their 11 starters from last season and are a unanimous selection to repeat as Gulf South Conference Champions. The heavily favored Argonauts loaded this year’s Preseason All-GSC Team with seven players, including National and GSC Player of Year, Shaneka Gordon (Old Harbour, Jamaica/Community College of Baltimore). Dernelle Mascall (Basse terre, Moruga, Trinidad/Mobile), Anastasia Prescott (Morvant, Trinidad/Mobile (Malick Secondary School)), Jodi Galucci (Stuart, Fla./South Fork HS), Marcela Franco (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Visconde de Porto Seguro), Shameka Gordon (Old Harbour, Jamaica/Community College of Baltimore), and Gulf Breeze native Kaley Morris (Gulf Breeze, Fla./Gulf Breeze HS) round out the Argos Preseason All-GSC representatives.

The Lady Argos also had four selections to the GSC Top Newcomers list in 2009. Freshmen midfielders Amanda Solis (Orlando, Fla./University HS) and Jessica Majewski (Gulf Breeze, Fla./Gulf Breeze HS) along with freshman defender Stephanie Sandidge (Winter Park, Fla./Winter Park HS) made the list, as well as University of Mississippi sophomore transfer, Racheal Cutts (Pace, Fla./University of Mississippi).
 
The only other team on the Argonauts schedule to be ranked in the NSCAA Preseason Top 25 is Rollins at No. 10.  The Argos will square off with the Tars on September 11th on the road in Winter Park, Fla.

UWF will start the 2009 season at home against non-conference opponents Florida Tech and Thomas. The Argos will face Florida Tech on Friday, August 28 at 5:00 p.m. CT and Thomas on Sunday, August 30 at 3:00 p.m. CT.

2009 NSCAA Division II Preseason Poll