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Spartans keep climbing, reach No. 14 in Soccer America poll
GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG's women's soccer team climbed two spots to No. 14 in this week's Soccer America Top 25, marking the sixth straight week the Spartans have moved up in the poll.
This week marks the sixth straight and seventh overall this season that UNCG has been ranked by Soccer America. The Spartans entered the rankings on Aug. 30 at No. 18 but fell out after suffering its only loss of the season at Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 5. UNCG re-entered the poll on Sept. 27, tying for 25th, before moving up to No. 21 on Oct. 4; No. 20 on Oct. 11; No. 19 on Oct. 18; and No. 16 on Oct. 25.
UNCG is off to a school-record 17-1-1 start and completed its fourth unbeaten Southern Conference slate in the last five seasons with an 11-0-0 mark for its fifth straight regular-season title.
The Spartans have won a school-record 14 straight matches, the third-longest active streak in the nation behind only streaks by No. 1 Stanford (15) and No. 17 Hofstra (17). UNCG's winning streak is just the third of 10 games or longer in school history, all of which have come in the last four seasons.
UNCG is one of just four teams nationwide with at least 17 wins on the year. Only No. 2 Portland at 18-1-0 has more wins, while No. 15 Denver (17-2-0) and No. 17 Hofstra (17-1-0) have 17 along with the Spartans. UNCG's .921 winning percentage is fourth in the nation behind only Portland (.947), No. 1 Stanford (.944) and Hofstra (.944).
The Spartans are also ranked in the NSCAA/Hendrickcars.com and SoccerTimes.com polls, checking in at Nos. 20 and 22 in those polls, respectively, this week. Those polls are both released on Tuesdays.
Top-seeded UNCG topped No. 8 seed Wofford 1-0 in the quarterfinal round of the SoCon Championship on Sunday, earning a date with No. 5 seed Elon on Friday in Cullowhee, N.C. The Spartans downed the Phoenix 2-1 on Thursday in the regular-season finale for both squads, rallying from their first halftime deficit of the year. The rematch in the SoCon semifinals is slated for a 5 p.m. kick at the Catamount Athletic Complex.
Soccer America Top 25 Poll
TEAM (W-L-T) LAST WEEK
1. Stanford (16-0-2) 1
2. Portland (18-1-0) 2
3. Maryland (15-2-1) 3
4. North Carolina (16-2-1) 4
5. Virginia (13-3-2) 7
6. Florida (15-2-2) 9
7. Oregon State (15-1-1) 10
8. Marquette (15-3-2) 12
9. Notre Dame (15-2-2) 5
10. Texas A&M (15-3-1) 6
11. Florida State (13-4-1) 8
12. Oklahoma State (15-3-1) 13
13. UC Irvine (15-1-2) 15
14. UNCG (17-1-1) 16
15. Denver (17-2-0) 17
16. West Virginia (14-4-1) 18
17. Hofstra (17-1-0) 19
18. Boston College (12-5-1) 11
19. Santa Clara (12-5-2) 14
20. South Carolina (14-4-2) 20
21. Texas (11-4-1) 24
22. Boston University (15-5-0) NR
23. UCF (13-3-3) NR
24. New Mexico (11-1-5) 23
t25. USC (11-4-3) NR
t25. Illinois (12-4-1) 21
t25. Ohio State (13-4-1) 22
(Records through games played Oct. 31.)
- UNCG -
