Photoo Michael Pimentel/GoldenBearSports.com
By IVES GALARCEP
Another week marked another shake-up at the top of the SBI Top 25, and after a slew of upsets and surprising results, a pair of Pac-12 teams stand atop the heap and neither of them is former No. 1 UCLA.
The Cal Golden Bears saw their perfect record blemished by a road draw vs. Penn State, but their body of work to date was enough to earn them the top spot in the latest SBI Top 25. Joining them at the top is Washington, which shook off the loss of standout goalkeeper Spencer Richey to remain unbeaten on the season.
Few folks would have pegged Wisconsin as a college soccer powerhouse when the season began, but the state boasts two unbeaten teams in the Top 25 as Wisconsin and Milwaukee boast identical 4-0-1 records. Wisconsin earned an impressive pair of road wins in Florida against Florida Gulf Coast and
The list of teams with perfect records is down to three, with Cal-State Northridge posting an impressive win vs. New Mexico to remain unbeaten on the season. Clemson debuts in the Top 25 on the strength of a 6-0 start, while University of Maryland-Baltimore County is on the fringes of the Top 25 due to a weaker schedule than the teams ahead of them.
Two teams that have rebounded well from bad season-opening losses to climb back up the rankings are Virginia Commonwealth and Northwestern. Both teams came into the season with high expectations, only to stumble in their season openers, but now both have put together outstanding runs to regain the ground they lost. VCU claimed another ranked victim with a win vs. Akron last week, while Northwestern has posted four straight shutout victories.
Here is the SBI College Soccer Top 25 for Sept. 17th:
SBI COLLEGE SOCCER TOP 25
1- CALIFORNIA (3-0-1)
2- WASHINGTON (4-0-1)
3- NOTRE DAME (2-0-2)
4- CREIGHTON (4-1)
5- CAL-STATE NORTHRIDGE (6-0)
6- UCLA (3-1-1)
7- VCU (3-1-1)
8- AKRON (4-2)
9- NORTH CAROLINA (2-0-2)
10- NEW MEXICO (3-1-1)
11- GEORGETOWN (4-2)
12. ST. JOHN’S (5-1)
13- WAKE FOREST (3-1)
14-NORTHWESTERN (4-1)
15- SAINT LOUIS (4-1)
16- CLEMSON (6-0)
17- UAB (3-1-1)
18- MILWAUKEE (4-0-1)
19- FURMAN (4-1)
20- TULSA (4-1-1)
21- BUTLER (4-1-1)
22- WISCONSIN (4-0-1)
23- ELON (4-0-1)
24- COASTAL CAROLINA (3-2)
25- MICHIGAN STATE (3-1)
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HONORABLE MENTION
North Carolina State (3-1), George Mason (4-0-1), Marquette (3-2-1), UMBC (5-0), UC-Irvine (3-1-2), West Virginia (3-2-1), UCSB (3-2), Fairleigh Dickinson (4-1), Duke (2-1-2), UNC-Greensboro (3-2).
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What do you think of this week’s rankings? Who do you think should be No. 1? Who didn’t make our Top 25 that you feel should have?
Share your thoughts below.
Pac 12 with 3 of the top 6 spots. Cal over Washington in anything, only in a Berkeley dream…..
Oct 6th
Just to be fair- the University of Dayton is undefeated as well. Very weak schedule just like UMBC though.
Warning: homer bias.
Ives, no mention of Maryland, who went down to UNC and earned a draw? Now they drop out of the top 25? Their only losses this year are to Cal (SBI #1) and VCU (SBI #7).
I count 6 teams from the Carolinas (3 from each), and a few more in honorable mention. Under appreciated soccer hotbed?
Yup.
Totally under appreciated. Charlotte is yet another very good program that isn’t even mentioned this week. A big reason more teams from the Carolinas don’t appear higher in the polls later in the season is because they all beat up on each other. IMO it’s the most competitive NSCAA region by far.
PS: Elon beat WFU for the 3rd year running tonight
Has ALWAYS been unappreciated.
This is a total homer comment, but isn’t it a bit harsh to the Cards to see Louisville drop all the way out of the top 25 & honorable mention? They won one/lost one this weekend. For that matter, no Indiana either?
Until Indiana starts beating someone of substance, I don’t disagree with their absence. Sorry for the triple negative – to translate –
Indiana does not deserve to be in the top 25 because they lose to any team with talent. Signed by an IU alum who watched their preseason game against UNC.
And draw with teams that are slightly better than mediocre (read: UC Irvine). Signed by a UC Irvine alumni.
Fair points, alums. I guess I’m used to top 25s that give teams a week or two to sort things out before the plummet like a stone (a la college football, or for that matter, the NSCAA Top 25).