We are just mid-way through September, and the number of college soccer teams with perfect record has already been paired down to just four, and of those four, none are teams you would have expected to be part of that select company.
Notre Dame, Old Dominion, UC-Riverside and Marquette have all enjoyed dream starts to their 2012 campaigns, with the Fighting Irish looking the most impressive of the bunch. Their 3-1 victory against Akron earlier in the month served notice that they are to be taken seriously as NCAA title contenders this season.
Old Dominion has also scored a victory against an established power to establish their credentials, beating Creighton last week to send a message that they have national aspirations this season.
ODU will be taking a run at the top spot tonight when they take on unbeaten Maryland. The Terrapins have boasted the most dangerous attack in the nation, having scored 21 goals in six matches this season. In fact, they have scored fewer than three goals just once this season, against UCLA in a 2-2 draw on Aug. 31st.
That draw is the only blemish on Maryland’s record this season, but it hasn’t stopped them from taking over the No. 1 spot in the latest SBI College Soccer Top 25. The pre-season top team, Akron, has had some stumbles in the season’s first month, but their 5-0 thrashing of South Florida last Sunday reminded us that Caleb Porter’s team will continue to be a force all season.
UC-Riverside is the most surprising of the perfect teams remaining, but their soft early-season schedule has helped them rattle off seven straight wins. The Highlanders will get to prove that they are a legitimate team this weekend, when CSU-Bakersfield presents them with their first tough test of the season.
Here is the new SBI College Soccer Top 25:
SBI Men's College Soccer Top 25
1- MARYLAND (5-0-1)
2- NOTRE DAME (7-0)
3- UCONN (5-0-1)
4- UCSB (5-0-1)
5. OLD DOMINION (6-0)
6- GEORGETOWN (7-0-1)
7- NORTH CAROLINA (4-1-1)
8- AKRON (4-1-2)
9- NEW MEXICO (5-1)
10- MARQUETTE (7-0)
11- UCLA (4-1-1)
12- CHARLOTTE (5-0-2)
13- ST. JOHN’S (5-0-3)
14- CREIGHTON (5-1-1)
15- INDIANA (5-1-1)
16- N.C. STATE (6-1)
17- NORTHWESTERN (5-0-2)
18- XAVIER (4-0-2)
19- DAYTON (6-1)
20- FURMAN (5-1-1)
21- UC-RIVERSIDE (7-0)
22- COASTAL CAROLINA (4-1-2)
23- WEST VIRGINIA (4-2-1)
24- SOUTH FLORIDA (4-2-1)
25. PENN STATE (5-1-1)
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HONORABLE MENTION– Virginia (3-2-1), UAB (4-2-2), Wake Forest (3-1-2), Washington (4-2-1), SIU-Edwardsville (5-2), Louisville (3-3), Duke (3-3), Brown (5-1), Monmouth (5-1-1), SMU (4-2-1).