UW-Milwaukee men join Soccer America Top 25

Oct. 11, 2005

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INDIANAPOLIS -- For the Horizon League, the latest Soccer America national rankings mark a case of "win some, lose some." While Butler University fell from the publication's national top 25, the League still has representation in the rankings. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee begins the week ranked 25th in the nation, according to the results of the latest poll released Tuesday (Oct. 11).The Panthers entered the rankings on the strength of a 7-2-3 overall ledger which includes three consecutive victories. UWM defeated the University of Wisconsin, 2-0, last Tuesday (Oct. 4) and posted identical-score triumphs over League foes Wright State University on Friday (Oct. 7) and Butler on Sunday (Oct. 9). The latter triumph bumped BU from the top 25.

UW-Milwaukee finished 2004 ranked 24th in the nation after reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers defeated the University of San Francisco, 3-2, before falling, 2-1, in overtime to then-top-ranked Santa Clara University. This year's edition features the current Horizon League Player of the Week in freshman goalkeeper Grant Fernstrum, who posted 12 saves in recording the three shutouts. In addition, junior midfielder Craig Mallace shares the League scoring lead with 15 points (three goals and nine assists).

The University of Akron took over the top spot in both polls after the University of New Mexico tied the Air Force Academy, 0-0, on Friday. That blemish leaves the Zips as the nation's only unbeaten and untied team at 11-0-0 while UNM drops to second in both polls at 9-0-1. St. John's University is third in the SA listings at 7-1-3, followed by the University of Virginia (8-1-2) and the University of Connecticut (9-2-1). The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) has Old Dominion University (8-1-2) third, ahead of St. John's and the University of North Carolina (8-2-1).

UW-Milwaukee also re-entered the NSCAA's Great Lakes Regional rankings after a one-week absence. The Panthers climbed to fifth in the area poll, heading a group of three Horizon League entries. Butler dropped two spots to seventh, with a 9-3-0 overall record after having a four-match winning streak snapped in Sunday's loss. The Bulldogs have been among the regional top ten all season, while the University of Detroit Mercy also entered the poll for the first time in 2005.

UDM is riding a four-match winning streak which has the Titans at 6-3-2 overall after starting the year at 0-1-2. Detroit junior Andrew Ornoch also has 15 points with six goals plus three assists.

A fourth team represents the Horizon League in the NSCAA's Midwest Region as the University of Illinois at Chicago moved up six spots to fourth with a 6-3-1 ledger. The Flames have won their last three contests by a combined score of 12-3 and are paced by sophomore midfielder Pavle Dundjer whose total of 15 points (four goals, seven assists) is tied for the League scoring lead. UIC has been ranked in the region's top ten for all but one week this season.

The four ranked teams matches the League's best showing since the first week of the season when Butler (eighth) and UW-Milwaukee (ninth) resided in the Great Lakes Poll while UIC (fifth) and Loyola University Chicago (tenth) drew top-ten notice in the Midwest Region.

UW-Milwaukee hosts UIC on Wednesday (Oct. 12) before visiting Northern Illinois University on Sunday (Oct. 16). NIU entered the NSCAA rankings for the first time this year at No. 23, and Sunday's match carries added significance with the John Lewang Memorial Cup on the line. That traveling trophy is named for the former Huskie coach killed in an automobile accident in 1981.

Other action this week has Butler at Loyola on Friday (Oct. 14) and at UIC on Sunday while Detroit visits Valparaiso University on Wednesday before returning home for a Sunday match versus League rival Cleveland State University.

The NSCAA/adidas national rankings are released each Tuesday afternoon and can be found at www.nscaa.com through the "rankings" tab at the top of the page. Soccer America publishes its weekly survey on Mondays at www.socceramerica.com. Links are provided on the "headlines" section on the right side of the page.

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Soccer America National Rankings
October 10, 2005

TeamRecordLW
1.Akron11-0-02
2.New Mexico9-0-11
3.St. John's7-1-33
4.Virginia8-1-28
5.Connecticut9-2-19
6.Indiana7-1-311
7.North Carolina State8-3-112
8.Maryland8-3-013
9.Old Dominon8-1-27
10.Duke7-2-14
11.Santa Clara8-3-05
12.UCLA7-3-06
13.North Carolina8-2-110
14.California8-2-115
15.Wake Forest8-3-016
16.Missouri State8-0-218
17.Oregon State7-2-4NR
18.Cincinnati7-3-217
19.San Diego State7-1-314
20.UNC Greensboro8-3-024
21.UC Santa Barbara6-2-220
22.San Francisco6-3-1NR
23.Cal State Northridge6-2-2NR
24.Seton Hall7-2-2NR
25.UW-Milwaukee7-2-3NR

Dropped out: Fairleigh Dickinson (previously No. 19), San Diego (No. 21), South Florida (No. 22), Creighton (No. 23), Butler (No. 25)

NSCAA / adidas Men's National Rankings
October 11, 2005

TeamRecordLW
1.Akron11-0-02
2.New Mexico9-0-11
3.Old Dominion8-1-23
4.St. John's 7-1-35
5.North Carolina8-2-14
6.Connecticut9-2-110
7.Virginia8-1-26
8.Indiana7-1-311
9.Missouri State8-0-29
9.Santa Clara8-3-07
11.North Carolina State8-3-122
12.Maryland8-3-013
13.California8-2-118
14.Wake Forest8-3-016
15.Duke7-2-18
16.Duquesne8-2-0NR
17.UCLA7-3-012
18.Vermont9-4-023
18.Cincinnati7-3-217
20.UC Santa Barbara6-2-224
21.Buffalo10-2-020
22.Northern Illinois8-2-2NR
23.UNC Greensboro7-3-025
23.Virginia Tech5-3-3NR
25.San Diego State7-1-315

Dropped out: Fairleigh Dickinson (previously No. 14), Lehigh (No. 19), Towson (No. 20), Creighton (No. 25)

NSCAA / adidas Men's Regional Rankings
October 11, 2005

Great Lakes Region
TeamRecordLW
1.Akron11-0-01
2.Indiana7-1-32
3.Cincinnati7-3-23
4.Notre Dame7-4-14
5.UW-Milwaukee7-2-3NR
6.Michigan6-4-16
7.Butler9-3-05
8.Detroit6-3-210
9.Michigan State4-3-4NR
10.Northwestern6-4-08

Dropped out: Ohio State (previously No. 7), Dayton (No. 9)

Midwest Region
TeamRecordLW
1.Missouri State8-0-21
2.Northern Illinois8-2-24
3.Southern Methodist6-4-15
4.UIC6-3-110
5.Creighton5-2-33
6.Bradley7-3-16
7.Vanderbilt5-4-17
8.Memphis5-4-29
9.Saint Louis5-4-1NR
10.Western Kentucky6-4-18
10.Oral Roberts5-3-110

Dropped out: Tulsa (previously No. 2)