UWF women's soccer keeping in competition form this summer

July 27, 2012

UWF student-athletes play for WPSL national title this weekend in Pensacola

Junior Alex Pickrell is one of nine current or former UWF women's soccer players on the Gulf Coast Texans roster. (Bill Stockland)

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Gulf Coast Texans of the Women’s Premier Soccer League are of the verge of their first WPSL Championship this weekend in Pensacola. A big reason for the team’s recent success is attributed to the play of a combination of current and former student-athletes from the University of West Florida.

Former two-time Daktronics NCAA Division II national player of the year Shakira Duncan (09-10) leads the Texans this season in goals scored (9) and was recently named to the All-Southeast Conference Team.

Two-time All-Gulf South Conference first team selection Tina Murray (10-11) tallied eight goals and eight assists on the year for the Texans and was named WPSL Southeast Conference Player of the Year for her efforts.

“The WPSL is full of former All-Americans in Division I and Division II; it is the best female league in the United States,” UWF head women’s soccer coach Joe Bartlinski said. “To see our former student-athletes excelling in a league with so many quality players verifies the strength of our program at UWF.”

But it is not only the Jamaican duo from UWF making waves for the Texans in the WPSL. Six current student-athletes for the Argonauts are training and playing for the Texans as well, including senior Tori Fish, juniors Courteney Mincy and Alex Pickrell, sophomores Lindsay Foy and Julianne Gaubron, and freshman Kasey Stone.

“Our current student-athletes playing in this league are getting invaluable experience that they will be able to apply to our team this fall,” Bartlinski said. “While other teams are working on running miles over the summer, I encourage our athletes to get involved with leagues like this. Seeing their success, it affirms our approach at UWF and will help mold our students as better athletes and people.”

Former UWF student-athlete and two-time first team All-GSC selection Jordan Stone (08-11) is also a member of the Texans, bringing the grand total of current and former UWF women’s soccer players training and playing for the Texans this season to nine.

The Texans will face Salt Lake United this Saturday, July 28 at 6:30 p.m. for the semifinals of the WPSL Championship. If they win, the championship title game will be held Sunday, July 29 at 1 p.m. All games will be played at Ashton Brosnaham Park in Pensacola.

But the Texans jersey is not the only colors current UWF student-athletes are donning this summer. Sophomores Kelly Andres and Taylor Harbison are playing in the Jacksonville summer leagues, and freshman keeper Kylie Wilson and junior midfielder Janitta Levius are playing in the US Youth Soccer U-19 National Championship this weekend representing CCSC Sol (Fla.) in Rock Hill, S.C. For information on all UWF athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.