Oklahoma Wesleyan Takes the Throne in NAIA Men’s Soccer Top 25 Poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In the latest NAIA Men's Soccer Netting Professionals Top 25 Coaches' Poll, Oklahoma Wesleyan ascended to the No. 1 spot, climbing two positions after extending its unbeaten record to 9-0-3. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) and Bethel (Ind.) also continued their steady rise, landing at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, while Keiser (Fla.) and Cumberlands (Ky.) each gained ground within the top 10. Life (Ga.) delivered one of the week’s biggest surges, jumping four spots to No. 12 behind an undefeated 10-0-2 mark, and Bethel (Tenn.) made a notable six-spot climb to No. 18.
Meanwhile, Dalton State (Ga.), last week’s top-ranked program, fell to No. 10 after its first blemish of the season. Bellevue (Neb.) took the steepest drop, sliding from No. 11 to No. 24, while Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and Marian (Ind.) also dipped several spots. The week’s lone newcomer is Ottawa (Kan.), which entered the poll at No. 25 after previously receiving votes.
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1. Oklahoma Wesleyan Record: 9-0-3 Notes: The Eagles scored five goals in the second half of their contest last week against McPherson (Kan.). Up Next: OKWU will face Saint Mary (Kan.) on Oct. 15 and Kansas Wesleyan on Oct. 28. |
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2. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) Record: 8-1-3 Notes: MNU has an undefeated record at home so far this season, posting a 5-0-1 mark. Up Next: The Pioneers are set for two road games against Missouri Valley on Oct. 15 and William Penn (Iowa) on Oct. 18. |
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3. Bethel (Ind.) Record: 10-1-2 Notes: The Pilots are currently on a four-game win streak and an 11-game unbeaten streak, with their last loss being to Cumberlands (Ky.) on Aug. 23. Up Next: Bethel will challenge Marian (Ind.) on Oct. 15 and Huntington (Ind.) on Oct. 18. |
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4. Keiser (Fla.) Record: 10-0-1 Notes: The Seahawks have recorded eight shutouts throughout 11 games this season, including three matches that concluded in a 6-0 decision. Up Next: Keiser will battle Southeastern (Fla.) on Oct. 15 and SCAD-Savannah (Ga.) on Oct. 18. |
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5. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) Record: 8-2-1 Notes: Lindsey Wilson's two losses on the season were in their last two contests against ranked opponents; Cumberland (Tenn.) and Cumberlands (Ky.). Up Next: The Blue Raiders will face UT Southern (Tenn.) on Oct. 16 and Bethel (Tenn.) on Oct. 21. |
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6. Cumberlands (Ky.) Record: 6-3-4 Notes: Cumberlands has tallied 18 assists on the season while their opponents have mustered nine. Up Next: The Patriots will have two home games this week against Campbellsville (Ky.) and Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) |
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7. William Carey (Miss.) Record: 10-2-1 Notes: The Crusaders are one of two undefeated teams in the Southern States, currently on a nine-game win streak and a 5-0 mark in league action. Up Next: They will take on Life (Ga.) on Oct. 16 and Dalton State (Ga.) on Oct. 18. |
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8. William Penn (Iowa) Record: 7-2-3 Notes: Last week's loss to Missouri Valley was their first defeat since Aug. 21 to Indiana Tech. Up Next: WP will host two home games this week. They will battle Mount Mercy (Iowa) on Oct. 15 and MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) on Oct. 18. |
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9. Indiana Wesleyan Record: 8-2-3 Notes: The Wildcats are unbeaten in Crossroads League action, compiling a 3-0-2 record. Up Next: IWU will host two games on its home pitch this Wednesday and Saturday against Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) and Saint Francis (Ind.). |
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10. Dalton State (Ga.) Record: 8-1-3 Notes: Junior Sergej Misic is ranked nationally in three individual statistical categories: goals (16), points (33), and shots (59). Up Next: The Roadrunners will take on Mobile (Ala.) on Thursday and William Carey (Miss.) on Saturday. |
| TREND | RANK | LAST POLL | INSTITUTION | RECORD | POINTS |
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| ▲ | 1 | 3 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 9-0-3 | 501 |
| ▲ | 2 | 4 | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 8-1-3 | 482 |
| ▲ | 3 | 5 | Bethel (Ind.) | 10-1-2 | 466 |
| ▲ | 4 | 6 | Keiser (Fla.) | 10-0-1 | 452 |
| ▼ | 5 | 2 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 8-2-1 | 419 |
| ▲ | 6 | 8 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 6-3-4 | 400 |
| ▲ | 7 | 9 | William Carey (Miss.) | 10-2-1 | 389 |
| ▼ | 8 | 7 | William Penn (Iowa) | 7-2-3 | 359 |
| ▲ | 9 | 10 | Indiana Wesleyan (Ind.) | 8-2-3 | 357 |
| ▼ | 10 | 1 | Dalton State (Ga.) | 8-1-3 | 353 |
| ▲ | 11 | 12 | LSU Shreveport (La.) | 8-0-5 | 339 |
| ▲ | 12 | 16 | Life (Ga.) | 10-0-2 | 328 |
| ▲ | 13 | 14 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 10-1-3 | 285 |
| ▼ | 14 | 13 | Grand View (Iowa) | 10-1-3 | 284 |
| ● | 15 | 15 | Georgia Gwinnett | 7-2-3 | 247 |
| ▲ | 16 | 17 | Indiana Tech | 10-3-1 | 244 |
| ▲ | 17 | 18 | Madonna (Mich.) | 12-1-1 | 206 |
| ▲ | 18 | 24 | Bethel (Tenn.) | 7-0-2 | 162 |
| ▲ | 19 | 22 | WVU Tech (W.V.) | 10-0-2 | 153 |
| ▲ | 20 | 21 | Grace College (Ind.) | 9-3-2 | 146 |
| ▼ | 21 | 20 | Xavier (La.) | 7-2-1 | 124 |
| ▲ | 22 | 23 | Northwestern Ohio | 11-2-1 | 120 |
| ▼ | 23 | 19 | Marian (Ind.) | 7-3-4 | 95 |
| ▼ | 24 | 11 | Bellevue (Neb.) | 8-6-1 | 94 |
| ▲ | 25 | RV | Ottawa (Kan.) | 7-1-5 | 67 |
Receiving Votes: Rio Grande (Ohio) 65, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 61, Midland (Neb.) 56, Eastern Oregon 55, Central Methodist (Mo.) 51, Stanton (Calif.) 26, Carroll (Mont.) 21, St. Thomas (Fla.) 20, LSU Alexandria (La.) 15, John Brown (Ark.) 14, Spring Arbor (Mich.) 13, Union Commonwealth (Ky.) 13, Baker (Kan.) 12, Southern Oregon 12, Westcliff (Calif.) 9, Oklahoma City 5, Missouri Valley 4, Faulkner (Ala.) 3, Florida National 2, Milligan (Tenn.) 2.
Key: Steady●| Climbed ▲ | Dropped ▼
Poll Methodology
- The national poll is for publicity purposes only and does not influence the selection process for national championship consideration.
- A panel of head coaches representing each conference and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents) votes in the poll.
- The Top 25 teams are selected using a points-based system:
- 30 points for a 1st-place vote, 29 for 2nd, 28 for 3rd, and so on.
- The highest and lowest rankings received by each team are discarded before final tallying.
- Teams receiving only one point are not listed as “receiving votes.”
- For the Preseason Poll, there is no "previous ranking" column since it is the initial poll and differs from the prior rating system.
