LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego women's soccer team will debut at No. 2 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Preseason Poll, it was announced Monday.

The Tritons, who went 19-3-3 last season and finished as national runners-up, are second only to defending national champions No. 1 Grand Valley State. GVSU defeated UCSD 4-0 in the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championship on December 4 in Louisville, Ky.

Rounding out the top-five are Saint Rose, West Chester and Florida Tech, respectively. UCSD beat four of the teams in the NSCAA's Preason top-10 during last year's run to the national title match- St. Rose, Florida Tech, No. 6 St. Edward's and No. 10 Seattle Pacific.

The only other ranked team from UCSD's conference, the California Collegiate Athletic Association, is No. 23 Cal State Los Angeles. The Eagles finished first in the CCAA South Division a year ago, one point ahead of the Tritons.

Two of the Tritons' first three matches are slated against ranked opponents.

UCSD's first stop on its seven-match roadtrip to start the season will be at Western Washington on September 1 at 7:00 p.m. The Tritons will stay in the Pacific Northwest to face Seattle Pacific on September 3 before traveling back to California to clash with CSULA on September 9 in Los Angeles.

The Tritons' first home match of the year is against Cal State San Bernardino on September 25 at noon on Triton Soccer Field.

UCSD recently returned from Costa Rica, where the Tritons trained with the Costa Rica National Team and did some touring of their own. To read the players' blog, click here.