TAMPA — At some point, as the postseason rolls on and the competition stiffens, it's reasonable to expect that someone could shift the University of West Florida women's soccer team out of cruise control.

Now, with the Argos one game from a first-ever national title, no one has come close.

Continuing a dream season filled to the brim with school records, the Argos (24-0-1) dismantled St. Rose (Albany, N.Y.) 4-0 during the NCAA Division II semifinal at the University of Tampa on Thursday night.

UWF (24-0-1), ranked No. 2 in the nation entering the NCAA Tournament, will now face No. 4 Seattle Pacific (Seattle, Wash.) in the national title game at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.

"We knew we had the talent," coach Joe Bartlinski said. "But in every game, we had to do certain things well. Sometimes you have good days and bad days, but this team has been consistent throughout.

"We knew we had the talent to be here in the national championship game, whether we win or lose."

To get to Saturday's season finale, it took a little grunt work early on. No. 21 St. Rose was the aggressor out of the gate, missing on a 30-yard attempt and a header in the penalty box that went just high and wide, respectively.

But a lucky bounce got things going for UWF and set the tone for the duration.

Midfielder Jodi Galucci kicked the ball toward the St. Rose goal, had the ball deflect off of a defender, bounce right back to her feet.

She dribbled past the goalkeeper and sent the shot into an open net. The goal, scored at the 21:57 mark, gave the Argos the lead and the momentum.

"I was just running to deflect the ball and hope it goes somewhere and we can get a goal," said Galucci, who became the fourth UWF player with 10 goals on the year. "It just deflected backwards, and in my head I just said, 'Don't miss, don't miss.' But it went in."

UWF led 1-0 at halftime, but a flurry of scores followed in the second half. Dernelle Mascall scored her 18th goal of the year from about 20 yards out in the 60th minute, followed by freshman reserve Jordan Stone on an assist from Mascall in the 70th minute.

Shaneka Gordon, crowned the Division II National Player of the Year earlier this week, scored her team-leading 23rd goal of the year with 15 minutes to play. The goal ties the school record for most goals in a season, a record set by Mascall in 2007.

"They have very fast backs, and obviously, (Shaneka) Gordon has just explosive speed," St. Rose coach Laurie Darling Gutheil said. "I don't think the flow of the play wasn't necessarily indicative of a 4-0 result, but that's not to take any credit away from UWF, they buried four great goals."

While it was a slow start, the final product was typical of this year's team. UWF outshot St. Rose. 17-11 (9-4 on shots on goal) and recorded its 10th straight shutout, a streak that extends back to Oct. 24.

"Early in the match, you don't know what to expect," Bartlinski said. "You sort of have to sit back, not take too many chances and see what they are going to do.

"They came at us in waves, but once we got the goal, we could put the ball on the ground some more. It was a very tough game."

Now the Argos now 90 minutes away from the school's first NCAA national championship in a team-based sport.

And, to this point, cruise control is still engaged.