Kansas City, Mo. – Coming of the program’s first KCAC regular season championship, the McPherson College men’s soccer team received five votes to rank the equivalent of 40th in the 2010 NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll, released Tuesday afternoon by the NAIA.
McPherson is one of two KCAC teams to receive votes, preceded only by Kansas Wesleyan University.
The Bulldogs posted a 15-2 overall record and a 9-0 KCAC mark in 2009 en route to winning the team’s first KCAC regular season championship. The squad set school records in goals allowed in a season and shutouts. MC advanced to the semifinal round of the KCAC postseason tournament, but failed to advance to the finals.
Coming off the school’s eighth men’s soccer national championship, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) takes over at the No. 1 position in the NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 poll, announced by the NAIA on Tuesday. The Blue Raiders earned 19 of the possible 20 first-place votes to total 560 points. This is the first No. 1 ranking for Lindsey Wilson since the final 2008 poll (Nov. 16). Lindsey Wilson bumps out Bethel (Tenn.) from the No. 1 spot after the Wildcats were the top-ranked team for the entire 2009 season.
The Blue Raiders finished last year with a 20-2-1 record and will enter the 2010 season on a 12-match unbeaten streak. Opening up at home against Saint Xavier (Ill.) on Saturday, Lindsey Wilson returns several key starters including sophomore Lebogang Moloto, a 2009 NAIA All-America First Team selection. Anchoring the defense is Championship MVP Chris Williams, who helped Lindsey Wilson record 16 shutouts (in 23 matches) last year, which ranked first in the nation.
No. 2 The Master’s (Calif.) brought in 538 total points after a 19-3-3 season. The Mustangs advanced to the 2009 National Championship final against Lindsey Wilson. That trip was their first to a title game in school history. In a banner year, The Master’s won the 2009 Golden State Athletic Conference Championship with a 9-1 record and finished one overall win shy of the school record (20).
For the fourth straight poll dating back to last year, Simon Fraser (B.C.) remains at the No. 3 spot. The Clan piled up 518 total points. Simon Fraser, a team that won 15 of its final 17 matches last year, finished with a 19-4 record. The Clan played in the 2009 NAIA Semifinals, only to lose 3-0 to national champion Lindsey Wilson.
Rio Grande (Ohio) checks in at No. 4 with 514 total points. Members of the Mid-South Conference along with Lindsey Wilson, the RedStorm went 18-3-3 last year and wrapped up the campaign with a trip to the NAIA Semifinals before getting ousted by The Master’s in penalty kicks. Rio Grande was ranked fourth in the NAIA last year in goals per game (3.9 gpg).
No. 5 Embry-Riddle (Fla.), with 465 total points, makes one of the biggest leaps from last year. The Eagles finished the 2009 season at No. 18 and reached as high as tenth. Embry-Riddle won The Sun Conference Tournament last year and went 14-4-4 overall. During a 9-1-2 stretch to end the year, Embry-Riddle allowed only seven goals.
The Golden State Athletic Conference and the Southern States Athletic Conference are the most represented in the Top 25 with three teams apiece. The GSAC hails The Master’s, No. 8 Biola (Calif.) and No. 13 Azusa Pacific (Calif.). The SSAC, which added members from the former Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and now has 13 institutions, places No. 9 Southern Poly State (Ga.), No. 17 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) and No. 19 William Carey (Miss.) on the list.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The first regular season Coaches’ Top 25 Poll will be announced on Sept. 7.
McPherson opens the 2010 regular season against Concordia University (Neb.) on Sept. 1 at McPherson Stadium
To view entire poll click here.