Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIPhotos.com
By IVES GALARCEP
The University of Maryland removed any doubts about their hold on the No. 1 spot in the SBI Top 25 after outplaying and ultimately defeating then No. 2 North Carolina in last week’s showdown of top teams.
The rainy conditions in Maryland put a damper on things, but we were still able to see a Terrapins side that was both strong offensively and tough defensively. North Carolina never could quite get going, but still showed enough to make a potential rematch in the ACC Final a can’t-miss encounter.
While Maryland remains the top team in the nation, the hottest team in the country is Akron, which increased its winning streak to eight matches after beating a tough West Virginia side. Caleb Porter’s side has allowed just one goal in nine matches, but will begin a three-game road trip that includes visits to Big Ten sides Ohio State (tonight) and Michigan State.
The last team with a perfect record finally fell last weekend as Cornell dropped points for the first time this year, with Brown inflicting the damage. Niagara also fell from the ranks of the unbeatens, leaving only Maryland and Xavier as teams that have yet to taste defeat this season.
The win against Cornell helped Brown climb all the way to No. 18 in the latest SBI Top 25, but their resume includes more than just that victory. The Bears also beat Washington earlier in the year, and are now riding a 10-match unbeaten streak.
Here is the latest SBI College Soccer Top 25:
SBI MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER TOP 25
(last week’s rank in parentheses)
1. (1)- MARYLAND (13-0-1)
2. (3)- AKRON (11-1-2)
3. (4)- UCONN (13-1-1)
4. (2)- NORTH CAROLINA (11-2-1)
5. (5)- MARQUETTE (14-1)
6. (6)- GEORGETOWN (13-2-1)
7. (7)- NOTRE DAME (12-3)
8. (8)- XAVIER (10-0-3)
9. (9)- COASTAL CAROLINA (13-1-2)
10. (11)- UCLA (9-2-2)
11. (14)- SAINT LOUIS (11-3)
12. (16)- NEW MEXICO (12-3)
13. (15). OLD DOMINION (9-2-2)
14. (10)- INDIANA (10-3-2)
15. (12)- NORTHWESTERN (10-3-2)
16. (20)- CHARLOTTE (10-2-3)
17. (13)- UCSB (9-3-3)
18. (25)- BROWN (11-1-2)
19. (22)- LOUISVILLE (10-4-1)
20. (19)- WASHINGTON (10-3-3)
21. (23)- CREIGHTON (11-3-2)
22. (17)- ST. JOHN’S (9-3-4)
23. (18)- FURMAN (10-3-3)
24. (NR)- WAKE FOREST (9-2-4)
25. (24)- VCU (8-2-4)
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HONORABLE MENTION– Penn State (9-4-2), Cornell (12-1), Tulsa (10-4-1), SMU (9-3-3), West Virginia (8-4-2), Syracuse (12-4), Elon (10-4-1), Cal Poly (9-5-1), Boston College (8-4-3), High Point (11-2-2)
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What do you think of this week’s rankings? Which team didn’t make the Top 25 that you feel should be there? See anybody being able to stop Maryland this season?
Share your thoughts below.