SEATTLE – Two sets of preseason soccer rankings, and both Seattle Pacific teams are on the list.
The Falcon men, coming off their first NCAA Division II tournament appearance in six years, are No. 11 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America rankings that were released on Tuesday afternoon. That's the same position in the final 2011 rankings.
SPU's women, who have been to NCAAs nine years in a row, check in at No. 19 on their side of the rankings. That's a jump of two places from their No. 21 spot on the final 2011 list.
Fort Lewis of Colorado is the top-ranked men's team. Saint Rose College of Albany, N.Y., is No. 1 for the women. Defending GNAC men's champion Simon Fraser is ranked No. 9. Seattle Pacific is the only GNAC women's team to make the top 25.
Coach
Mark Collings' men put together a 14-4-2 record last season, including a 7-2-1 record that was good for a second-place finish in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The Falcons finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the West Region, and played host to the regional tournament at Interbay Stadium.
SPU scored a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory against Cal State Dominguez Hills in the first round before dropping a 3-2 decision to Cal State Los Angeles in the regional title game.
Under the guidance of head coach
Chuck Sekyra, the Falcon women were 17-3-0 last fall, going 13-1-0 in GNAC play to capture their third straight conference crown and eight GNAC title altogether.
The Falcons wound up on the road for regionals, routing Grand Canyon in the first round, 4-0, then falling to host Cal State Los Angeles in the West semifinals, 2-1.
The men open the season with a two-game road trip, visiting Notre Dame de Namur on Aug. 30 in Belmont, Calif., then moving on to face West Region rival Chico State on Sept. 1. The home opener at Interbay is Friday, Sept. 7, against Dixie State at 7 p.m.
The women also begin their 2012 schedule with two road game, playing at Notre Dame de Namur on Aug. 30, then staying in Belmont to face the University of California-San Marcos on Sept. 1. The home opener is Thursday, Sept. 6, against Azusa Pacific at 7 p.m.
2012 NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II Men's Rankings
|
Rank |
School |
Postseason 2011 Ranking |
Final 2011 Record |
|
1 |
Fort Lewis |
1 |
24-1-0 |
|
2 |
Lynn |
2 |
14-5-3 |
|
3 |
Franklin Pierce |
3 |
21-1-1 |
|
4 |
Millersville |
4 |
15-7-1 |
|
5 |
Flagler |
5 |
17-3-3 |
|
6 |
Rockhurst |
6 |
17-3-2 |
|
7 |
Southern New Hampshire |
7 |
18-4-0 |
|
8 |
Cal State-Los Angeles |
8 |
15-2-6 |
|
9 |
Simon Fraser |
10 |
18-0-1 |
|
10 |
Incarnate Word |
9 |
14-3-0 |
|
11 |
Seattle Pacific |
11 |
14-4-2 |
|
12 |
Barry |
13 |
12-4-5 |
|
13 |
C.W. Post |
12 |
17-3-1 |
|
14 |
Midwestern State |
16 |
13-4-1 |
|
15 |
Northern Kentucky |
14 |
14-5-0 |
|
16 |
California (Pa.) |
15 |
12-4-4 |
|
17 |
Mars Hills |
17 |
13-6-1 |
|
18 |
Coker |
18 |
18-3-0 |
|
19 |
Christian Brothers |
19 |
15-4-1 |
|
20 |
Rollins |
20 |
15-4-0 |
|
21 |
St. Thomas Aquinas |
21 |
11-4-4 |
|
22 |
Saginaw Valley State |
22 |
12-5-3 |
|
23 |
Chico State |
24 |
13-4-4 |
|
24 |
Anderson (S.C.) |
25 |
17-4-0 |
|
25 |
University of Charleston (W.Va.) |
RV |
13-6-0 |
Receiving votes: Metro State (Colo.), Fort Hays State (Kan.), Lees-McRae (N.C.), Texas A&M International, Northeastern State (Okla.), Cal State-Dominguez Hills.
|
2012 NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II Women's Rankings
|
Rank |
School |
Postseason 2011 Ranking |
Final 2011 Record |
|
1 |
Saint Rose |
1 |
23-1-1 |
|
2 |
Grand Valley State |
2 |
20-1-4 |
|
3 |
Armstrong Atlantic State |
3 |
18-3-3 |
|
4 |
Chico State |
4 |
13-6-6 |
|
5 |
Colorado Mines |
5 |
17-2-4 |
|
6 |
California (Pa.) |
6 |
20-1-2 |
|
7 |
Abilene Christian |
7 |
20-2-1 |
|
8 |
University of Tampa |
8 |
16-6-2 |
|
9 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
9 |
17-3-1 |
|
10 |
Fort Lewis |
11 |
15-3-4 |
|
11 |
Northern Kentucky |
10 |
17-5-0 |
|
12 |
University of Bridgeport |
13 |
16-0-1 |
|
13 |
Cal State-Los Angeles |
12 |
13-4-4 |
|
14 |
Slippery Rock |
14 |
16-4-3 |
|
15 |
Dallas Baptist |
15 |
16-6-1 |
|
16 |
Central Oklahoma |
18 |
15-4-0 |
|
17 |
Massachusetts-Lowell |
16 |
11-6-4 |
|
18 |
UC San Diego |
19 |
13-3-4 |
|
19 |
Seattle Pacific |
21 |
17-3-0 |
|
20 |
Lynn |
17 |
11-7-1 |
|
21 |
Bellarmine |
20 |
16-3-3 |
|
22 |
Columbus State |
22 |
16-4-3 |
|
23 |
Saint Leo |
23 |
15-3-1 |
|
24 |
Rollins |
24 |
14-3-2 |
|
25 |
Cal State-Stanislaus |
RV |
11-4-6 |
Receiving votes: Minnesota State-Mankato, West Florida, Wisconsin-Parkside, Midwestern State, Kutztown (Pa.), North Georgia, Merimack (Mass.), Quincy (Ill.) |
