Spartans jump into Soccer America Top 25 at No. 18
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Off to the first 3-0 start in school history and boasting a win over then-No. 10 Wake Forest, UNCG's women's soccer team has earned its first top-25 ranking since 1998.
The Spartans jumped into the Soccer America Top 25 Poll at No. 18 after being unranked the previous week. After opening the 2010 campaign with a win over East Carolina on Aug. 20, UNCG topped Wake Forest on the road and Utah on neutral ground last week.
Wake Forest was ranked 10th in the nation at the time by the NSCAA and 15th by Soccer America.
"For the girls' and the program's perspective, it's nice to be recognized," UNCG coach Eddie Radwanski said. "We've kind of felt over the course of the last several years that we've been one of better teams in the country and kind of a top-30ish program. The nice thing about some of the polls is that it comes from your peers and other coaches and it's just nice to know that some of the things your team is doing are getting recognized.
"It's just a snapshot at the moment. It's good recognition for the girls and the program, but it's a long season. We've got quite a ways to go. We don't want to get too high or get too low, but hopefully this is a byproduct of the work that we've put in over the years and playing these difficult, challenging schedules, and we hope we can continue to build upon it."
The ranking for UNCG is its first since being ranked No. 13 by Soccer Buzz in the 1998 preseason. UNCG's highest ranking at the Division I level came in the 1996 season, when the Spartans were ranked 12th by Soccer America.
The Spartans were ranked No. 1 in the nation for three weeks in 1990, their final season at the Division II level.
UNCG will test out its new ranking when it takes on Southern Cal at Cal State Fullerton's Under Armour Invitational on Friday. The Trojans were ranked 19th in the preseason by the NSCAA and No. 20 by Soccer America.
Soccer America Women's Top 25
(Monday, Aug. 30)
TEAM (W-L-T) LAST WEEK
1. North Carolina (3-0-1) 1
2. Stanford (2-0-2) 2
3. Portland (4-0-0) 3
4. Notre Dame (2-0-0) 4
5. Boston College (2-0-1) 6
6. Florida State (3-0-0) 8
7. Virginia (3-0-1) 7
8. Texas A&M (3-1-0) 9
9. Santa Clara (2-0-1) 10
10. Maryland (3-0-0) 12
11. Florida (4-0-0) 13
12. BYU (3-0-0) 14
13. Memphis (2-0-0) 18
14. Northwestern (2-0-1) NR
15. UCLA (2-1-0) 5
16. William & Mary (2-0-1) NR
17. Penn State (1-1-1) 11
18. UNCG (3-0-0) NR
19. Cincinnati (3-0-1) NR
20. Oklahoma State (2-1-0) 19
21. San Diego (3-0-0) 25
22. Duke (3-1-0) 22
23. Louisville (3-0-0) NR
24. Long Beach State (3-1-0) NR
25. Wake Forest (2-1-0) 15
25. Monmouth (2-0-0) NR
(Records through games played Aug. 29.)
- UNCG -