Lady Argos Tabbed as Preseason Favorite

Photo Courtesy of Ron Besser

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For the sixth straight season, the University of West Florida women’s soccer team was named the pre-season favorite to win the Gulf South Conference as announced by GSC Commissioner Nathan N. Salant Thursday afternoon. It was a unanimous selection from the league’s head coaches as the Argonauts collected all seven first place votes.

The Argonauts are coming off an impressive 24-1-1 season and are the defending GSC Tournament Champions. UWF earned a post-season bid for the seventh straight season, taking their perfect season all the way to the NCAA Division II National Championship match. The heavily favored Argos would eventually fall 1-0 to Seattle Pacific University in double-overtime, ending their hopes of a national title.

This season the heavily favored Argonauts loaded the 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), Kaley Morris (Gulf Breeze, Fla./Gulf Breeze HS) and Shameka Gordon (Old Harbour, Jamaica/Community College of Baltimore) round out the Argos Preseason All-GSC representatives. All seven players are coming off phenomenal seasons and were All-GSC selections in 2008.

The Argos also had four players named on the 2009 Top Newcomers list. 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).

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.