Photo by GoldenBearSports.com
By IVES GALARCEP
Thanks to the Cal Golden Bears, and senior centerback Steve Birnbaum, the SBI College Soccer Top 25 endured a shake-up in the very first week of the season.
Birnbaum, the SBI College Soccer Player of the Week, scored goals in each game, and helped the Golden Bears post victories against Maryland and Georgetown, the top two teams in the country in the pre-season polls. That impressive started helped Cal catapult from No. 27 in the SBI Pre-Season Top 40, to No. 6 in the first SBI Top 25 of the season.
The UCLA Bruins move into the No. 1 spot in the polls after knocking off defending champion Indiana, and holding Notre Dame scoreless in a draw, to start the season. Posting a pair of shutouts despite fielding so many young players was definitely a statement accomplishment for Jorge Salcedo and the Bruins, who play their home opener on Thursday night against Cal Poly.
Two other teams that broke into the rankings after impressive early results are UC-Santa Barbara and UAB. The Gauchos trounced highly-regarded Northwestern in a 2-0 road trip to the Chicago area, while UAB dismantled Virginia Commonwealth, 4-0, in their opening match.
Here is the SBI Top 25:
SBI COLLEGE SOCCER TOP 25
1- UCLA (1-0-1)
2- AKRON (2-0)
3- GEORGETOWN (1-1)
4- UCONN (1-0)
5- NOTRE DAME (1-0-1)
6- CALIFORNIA (2-0)
7- NORTH CAROLINA (2-0)
8 – MARYLAND (0-1-1)
9- CREIGHTON (2-0)
10- INDIANA (1-1)
11- SAINT LOUIS (1-0)
12- LOUISVILLE (2-0)
13- NEW MEXICO (2-0)
14-COASTAL CAROLINA (1-1)
15- WAKE FOREST (1-1)
16- VIRGINIA (1-1)
17- MARQUETTE (1-1)
18- UCSB (2-0)
19-NORTHWESTERN (0-1)
20- WASHINGTON (3-0)
21-TULSA (2-0)
22- STANFORD (0-1-1)
23- DUKE (1-0-1)
24- BROWN (0-0)
25- UAB (2-0)
HONORABLE MENTION
Cal-State Northridge (2-0), Michigan State (1-0), Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1-0), St. John’s (1-1), UNC-Greensboro (2-0), Syracuse (2-0), North Carolina State (1-0), Penn State (2-0), Furman (1-1), Tulsa (1-1).