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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Delta State University Lady Statesmen Soccer team had incoming freshman Hannah James and transfer Mia Ramirez named as top newcomers for the upcoming 2019 season. Meanwhile, the Green and White were picked to finish ninth in the Gulf South Conference preseason poll.

Coming off a great 2018 campaign,  the Delta State University Lady Statesmen Soccer team established a new school record for Gulf South Conference wins in a season with five. This is the highest the Lady Statesmen have been picked in the GSC preseason poll since they were chosen eighth in 2012.

Hannah James, an incoming freshman, joins DSU from Grantham, England having previously played for Derby County. Mia Ramirez, a rising junior, joins Delta State from Cerritos College in California. Last season she played in 10 games scoring 13 goals on 51 shots and also had 10 assists.
 

2019 WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL

School	Total Points
1. West Florida (12)	168
2. Lee	152
3. Mississippi College (2)	151
4. West Alabama	124
5. Valdosta State	112
T6. Montevallo	105
T6. West Georgia	105
8. Christian Brothers	98
9. Delta State	70
10. Alabama Huntsville	57
11. Auburn Montgomery	54
12. Union	30
13. Shorter	28
14. Spring Hill	20

NOTES: The head coaches voted in this poll. Teams received 13 points for a first place vote, 12 for a second place vote, etc. The head coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. Number of first place votes in parenthesis.

The Lady Statesmen open at home on Friday, September 6 with a matchup against Missouri S&T out of the GLVC. The following weekend Delta Field will play host to four games in a crossover classic with the Sunshine State Conference. Florida Southern and Florida Tech make the trip to Cleveland along with GSC foe Union University on September 13 and 15. The Lady Statesmen will play Florida Tech on Friday, Sept. 13 at 2:30 PM and then follow up with Florida Southern on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 1:30 PM.

The Green and White will continue the month of September at home over Pig Pickin Weekend with matchups against a couple of Great American Conference teams. On September 19, Ouachita Baptist comes calling to Delta Field followed by Harding University on September 21.

Gulf South Conference play begins the last weekend of September and home games number six and seven for the Lady Statesmen. The opening GSC matches will be UAH on September 27 and West Alabama on September 29.

Delta State's first road games comes on October 4 and 6 at Shorter and Lee. They then return home October 11 and 13 to face Christian Brothers and Union at Delta Field. The Lady Statesmen will then end the month of October with three straight road matches. They will head to the Peach State and take on West Georgia on October 18 and Valdosta State on October 20. They end the month against rival Mississippi College in Clinton.

The final home stand will come on the first weekend of November. The Lady Statesmen will play host to Montevallo on November 1 and Auburn Montgomery November 3. The final weekend of the regular season will be on the road at West Florida on November 7 and Spring Hill on November 9.