Sept. 21, 2010

Contact: Chad Waller, NAIA Director of Sports Information & Media Services, cwaller@naia.org

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With a perfect 5-0 record, No. 1 Simon Fraser (B.C.) remains as the top-ranked team in the third regular season edition of the 2010 NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 poll, the national office announced Tuesday. No. 2 Rio Grande (Ohio) remains close behind Simon Fraser with just 13 points (649-636) separating the two schools. The next three teams, No. 3 Notre Dame (Ohio), No. 4 Hastings (Neb.) and No. 5 Vanguard (Calif.), all move up one spot.

Just like last week, five newcomers make a splash in the Top 25. The biggest jump was No. 14 Mobile (Ala.), who was receiving votes in the Sept. 14 edition. Last week, Mobile defeated then-No. 22 Southern Poly State (Ga.) 3-2 before a 3-0 blanking of then-No. 15 Embry-Riddle (Fla.). The other programs, No. 22 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.), No. 23 Lindenwood (Mo.), No. 24 Concordia (Calif.) and No. 25 Ashford (Iowa), hop into the poll after receiving votes in the Sept. 14 edition.

Simon Fraser earned 18 first-place votes and is the top team for the second straight week. The Clan extended its scoring advantage to 19-1 against 2010 competition after a 3-0 win over Trinity Lutheran (B.C.) on Sept. 17. Since a loss to British Columbia on Oct. 13, 2009, Simon Fraser has won 14 of its last 15 matches. Simon Fraser takes on Montana State-Billings on Thursday prior to a Saturday match against Northwest Nazarene (Idaho).

Holding at No. 2 for the second straight poll, Rio Grande gathered 636 total points and five first-place nods. The Red Storm are 8-0 on the season and notched their eighth win with a 4-3 overtime victory against Illinois Tech on Sept. 18. Prior to that match, Rio Grande dominated with a 35-1 scoring advantage in its first seven wins. Rio Grande faces Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) on Wednesday and then heads to Campbellsville (Ky.) on Saturday.

Notre Dame moves up for the fourth straight poll, advancing to No. 3 this week. After a No. 7 ranking in the Preseason Top 25, the Falcons have dominated with an 8-0 record. Notre Dame tallied 611 total points in the poll. After shutting out their first seven opponents and scoring 36 times, the Falcons won a tight match, 3-2 at Madonna (Mich.) on Sept. 18.  Next up is a home match against Ashland (Ohio) on Wednesday.

No. 4 Hastings also moves up one spot with 582 total points. The ranking is the highest for the Broncos since Aug. 17, 2004 when they were ranked No. 2 (tie). Hastings blanked Dordt (Iowa) 2-0 on Sept. 18 for its fourth shutout of the season. The Broncos take their 6-0 record to Nebraska Wesleyan on Wednesday before a Saturday affair against Briar Cliff (Iowa).

No. 5 Vanguard slides into the top-five for the time since Oct. 11, 2006 (No. 4). The Lions captured 565 total points and is 4-0-1 on the season and recently (Sept. 18) took out Marymount (Calif.) 4-2. Vanguard faces No. 12 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) on Saturday in one of the most highly-touted matches and the Golden State Athletic Conference opener for both schools.

Four teams fall out of the Top 25 since last week: No. 8 Martin Methodist (Tenn.), No. 15 Westminster (Utah), No. 22 Southern Poly State (Ga.) and No. 24 William Carey (Miss.).

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The fourth regular season Coaches’ Top 25 Poll will be announced on Sept. 28.

For more information on NAIA men’s soccer, please click here.

NOTES: In four polls this year (including Preseason Top 25), there have been 40 teams ranked…Two newcomers, No. 23 Lindenwood (Mo.) and No. 24 Concordia (Calif.) are appearing in their first Top25 this season – Lindenwood is in for the first time since Sept. 23, 2008 (No. 17) while Concordia is appearing for the first time since Oct. 27, 2009 (No. 24)… No. 12  Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) is tied with Rio Grande (Ohio) for the most No. 1 mentions since 2000 at 31 times… Overall, there have been 14 different teams to claim the No. 1 spot during that span, led by Lindsey Wilson and Rio Grande (31), followed by Bethel (Tenn.) (11), Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) (9), Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (5), Concordia (Calif.) (5) and Simon Fraser (B.C.) (2)… No. 8 Belhaven (Miss.) leads the NAIA with nine victories… Lindsey Wilson and Simon Fraser (B.C.) now hold the distinction of being consecutively ranked the longest among active schools -- 36 straight polls, dating back to the 2007 Preseason Top 25 Poll… A team that went on a 31-match unbeaten streak last year, Bethel (Tenn.) falls from the No. 1 team during the course of the 2009 season to “receiving votes” in this poll… Since 2000, two teams have rattled through the entire season ranked No. 1 --- Bethel in 2009 and Rio Grande during the 2004 season.

2010 NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – (Regular Season No. 3)

Others receiving votes:

Aquinas College (Mich.) 95; Westminster College (Utah) 95; Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio) 89; William Carey University (Miss.) 88; Bethel University (Tenn.) 68; Grand View University (Iowa) 66; University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) 49; Warner University (Fla.) 42; Concordia University (Ore.) 25; Thomas University (Ga.) 17; Cedarville University (Ohio) 16; McKendree University (Ill.) 10; Mountain State University (W.Va.) 10; The Master's College (Calif.)        9; Mid-Continent University (Ky.) 8; Baker University (Kan.) 8; Southern Polytechnic State University (Ga.) 7; Oklahoma Baptist University 7; Montreat College (N.C.) 6; Westmont College (Calif.) 1; Rogers State University (Okla.) 1; Martin Methodist College (Tenn.) 1; John Brown University (Ark.) 1; Florida Memorial University                1; California State University-San Marcos 1; Davenport University (Mich.) 1; Northwood University (Fla.) 1; Saint Thomas University (Fla.) 1; Oklahoma City University 1; Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas) 1

* Submitted by the raters and reflecting the overall record