GRAND FORKS, N.D. --- In the inaugural Great West Conference (GWC) preseason Soccer poll, the University of North Dakota soccer team was voted to finish third in the West Division in 2009.

UVU garnered all four first-place votes in the West Division, followed by Houston Baptist, UND and South Dakota, respectively. In the East Division, NJIT picked up two first-place votes followed by South Carolina State (one first-place vote), Howard (one first-place vote) and Delaware State.

The 2009 GWC division champions will be named upon completion of a double-round robin format within the respective divisions. Conference standings will be determined by a point system with three points given for a win and one point awarded for a tie.

The Great West Conference champion will then be decided by an eight-team, single-elimination tournament to be hosted by NJIT on November 6-9 at Newark, N.J. The seeding for the tournament will be based upon final regular season standings within each division. The No. 1 and No. 4 seeds and the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds from opposite divisions will play in the first round.

GWC 2009 Preseason

Women's Soccer PollWest Division

1. Utah Valley (4) 16 pts.

2. HBU 10 pts.

3. North Dakota 8 pts.

4. South Dakota 6 pts.

East Division

1. NJIT (2) 14 pts.

2. SCSU (1) 10 pts.

3. Howard (1) 9 pts.

4. Delaware State 7 pts.

-GO SIOUX-