The
women's soccer program at the University of North Alabama began
in 1996 as a club sport and moved quickly into the Gulf South
Conference and the NCAA Division II in 1997.
The Lions had a solid 6-4-2 record as a club team in 1996 and
followed that with a 7-11 record in their first season in the
GSC, advancing to the conference championship tournament.
In 1998, in the team's second season in the GSC, the team was
devastated by major injuries and finished with a 4-14 record.
In 1999, the Lions finished with a record of 11-7-1. The
Lady Lions finished the season tied for 3rd in the GSC.
In 2000, the team managed to finish the season with a solid 11-6
record. UNA's season included a five-game winning streak at one
point in the season, but the Lions 4-4 conference record wasn't
good enough to put them in to the Gulf South Conference
Tournament. The Lions finished fifth overall in the GSC, with
the top four teams playing in the league tournament.
Former Alabama-Huntsville standout Aston Rhoden coached the UNA
women's soccer teams since 1996 until 2001. Cory Tanzer
coached the Lions to an 8-9-1 record in 2002. Graham
Winkworth took over the Lions for the 2003 season, leading them
to an 8-11-0 record in his inaugural season. UNA played its initial season at Veteran's Park in Florence and
has played its home matches at North Florence Park since 1997.
