FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University women's soccer team returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years and three days, as they take on West Florida in the first round of the South Regional, to be held at Barry in Miami Shores on Friday.
 
The Sharks (12-3-2) were chosen as the region's No. 5 seed and will face the fourth-seeded Argonauts (14-4-1), who finished third in the Gulf South Conference this season, beginning at 3 p.m. Friday. In an eerily similar coincidence, UWF also was defeated in their conference tournament semifinals, as they tied Lee in regulation and through two overtimes 3-3, but were eventually outshot on penalty kicks 4-3 (for the Sharks it was 1-1 and 5-4 against Tampa).
 
NSU has made the national tournament five times in program history, twice in the NCAA era (2006 and 2007). In their most recent appearance, also as the fifth seed, they fell to Ouachita Baptist, 2-0, on Nov. 9, 2007. The year prior, when only 32 teams made up the field, the Sharks were the South Region's No. 4 seed and were defeated by top seed and host Tampa, 3-0.
 
The Sharks are looking for their first-ever win in a national tournament setting, and to do so, would have to advance past the Argos, who before their most recent tie, had won eight of nine this year. Daryl Bell is the team leader in goals (14) and points (34, 18th in DII), with Kaley Ward and Amber Pennybaker contributing nine and eight goals, respectively.
 
Six members of the UWF squad in total earned All-GSC nods. In addition to Bell and Pennybaker, defenders Svenja Burkhardt and Emily Vogler were first-team selections, while Ward and fellow midfielder Sara Helgadottir were second-team All-Conference. The Argos have had two keepers split time in net, with Ana Chumik starting 11 of 13 matches and going 4-1, while Emily Grammer started the other eight (out of 11), with a 3-2-1 mark.
 
As a team, UWF is 25th or better nationally in six categories, including scoring offense and points per game, where they are 20th. NSU's high-water mark is 28th in scoring offense at 2.41, just behind the Argos' 2.58. Bell's slot in total points and points per game (23rd, 1.84) are the only top-25 individual marks for UWF, while the Sharks have six:
 

Sierra Lelii	Goals Per Game	8th	1.06
Sierra Lelii	Total Goals	10th	18
Sierra Lelii	Points Per Game	10th	2.29
Sierra Lelii	Total Points	15th	39
Samantha Gestido	Assists Per Game	19th	0.47
Samantha Gestido	Total Assists	24th	8

Lelii (R-Sr., Seminole, Fla.), an All-American candidate, was recently named both SSC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year. Gestido (Sr., Hialeah, Fla.) is still the Sunshine State Conference leader in assists and assists per game, while second-team All-Conference member and goalkeeper Amanda Kopale (R-Jr., Cape Coral, Fla.) is second in save percentage and fourth in goals against average. SSC Defensive Player of the Year Cydney Niedermeyer (Jr., Fort Myers, Fla.) is the only Shark to appear in and start all 17 matches, and she and seven of her teammates have eclipsed the 1,000-minute mark on the year.

Game time is 3 p.m. Friday. Whomever advances will face top seed and host Barry on Sunday at 1 p.m. for the right to face the surviving team from the other half of the South Region bracket (the winner of host North Alabama and either Lee or Tampa). Stat and streaming links for Friday for NSU are available at the top of this page.