BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. -- The Fairmont State women's soccer team is preparing to kick-off its inaugural season on the NCAA Division II level and in the Mountain East Conference in 2015. FSU announced the addition of women's soccer as its 16th athletic program in December of 2013 and are under head coach Pat McGinnis.

The Falcons finished the 2014 season with an 8-2-3 record, competing as a club program during its first season. The Falcons are picked to finish ninth in the 2015 MEC women's soccer poll, the league announced on Thursday afternoon.

Notre Dame College has been selected by a vote of the league's coaches as the preseason favorite to win the 2015 MEC women's soccer championship.

Notre Dame finished with 64 points and eight first-place votes. NDC, winners of the MEC regular season and tournament titles a year ago, return 82 percent of its scoring from last year's team, led by MEC Offensive Player of the Year Alexis Manoa. NDC also brings back first team All-MEC goalkeeper Samantha Shoemaker to help direct the defensive unit.

The University of Charleston is picked to finish second with 53 points, followed by West Virginia Wesleyan with 51 points. The Bobcats had the remaining first-place vote and will start the season ranked 23rd in the country. West Liberty and Shepherd tied for fourth in the poll with 40 points, followed by Concord (28), Wheeling Jesuit (21), Urbana (16) and Fairmont State (11).