TOWSON, Md. ? Riding a ten-game
winning streak and a 12-game unbeaten streak, the Tiger men's soccer
team is nationally-ranked for the third straight week. The Tigers, who
have a 14-1-2 overall record, are ranked 15th in the nation
this week, according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of
America (NSCAA)/adidas weekly poll. The Tigers are ranked two spots
higher than last week when they were 17th in the nation.
The Tigers, who won the Colonial Athletic Association regular
season title, are top-seeded for this weekend's CAA Tournament at
Virginia Beach, Va. The Tigers finished their CAA schedule with a
10-0-1 record, setting a CAA record for conference victories in a
season.
Coach Frank Olszewski and the Tigers are also
ranked third in the South Atlantic region this week behind Virginia
(13-3-0) and defending national champion Maryland (14-3-1).
The Tigers, who haven't lost a match since September 10, have relied
on an outstanding defense that is ranked seventh in NCAA Division I,
allowing only 0.56 goals per game.
Junior Billy Chiles (Springbrook H.S./Silver Spring, Md.) and senior Greg Flaherty
(Henderson H.S./West Chester, Pa.) have shared the goalkeeping duties
and done a tremendous job. Chiles has played 846 minutes and has a 0.32
GAA with five solo shutouts. Flaherty has played 757 minutes with a
0.83 GAA and four solo shutouts. Chiles is ranked third in the nation
in Goals Against Average.
With their 14-1-2 record, the Tigers have the third-best winning
percentage in NCAA Division I at .882. Lehigh (15-1-1) has the best
percentage at .912 while West Virginia (15-1-2) has an .889 percentage.
In the CAA Tournament semi-finals on Friday, the Tigers will face
the winner of the George Mason-Northeastern first round match at 5:00
p.m. at the Virginia Beach SportsPlex in Virginia Beach, Va.
The CAA championship match is set for Sunday, November 5 at 2:30 p.m.
The CAA champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Towson University is seeking its second berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2001.
The NCAA Tournament field will be announced on Monday, November 6 at 4:00 p.m. (EST) on ESPN News.
|
NSCAA/adidas National Rankings
October 31, 2006 |
|
|
Rank |
School |
Prev. |
W-L-T |
|
1 |
Wake Forest |
3 |
15 - 2 - 1 |
|
2 |
SMU |
1 |
15 - 1 - 3 |
|
3 |
Virginia |
2 |
13 - 3 - 0 |
|
4 |
West Virginia |
4 |
15 - 1 - 2 |
|
5 |
Maryland |
7 |
14 - 3 - 1 |
|
6 |
Clemson |
10 |
12 - 3 - 2 |
|
7 |
Santa Clara |
11 |
11 - 3 - 4 |
|
8 |
Saint Louis |
9 |
12 - 3 - 2 |
|
9 |
Duke |
5 |
13 - 3 - 1 |
|
10 |
Indiana |
20 |
12 - 4 - 2 |
|
11 |
California |
6 |
12 - 4 - 1 |
|
12 |
Notre Dame |
8 |
13 - 5 - 2 |
|
13 |
Kentucky |
14 |
12 - 4 - 2 |
|
14 |
Lehigh |
13 |
15 - 1 - 1 |
|
15 |
Towson |
17 |
14 - 1 - 2 |
|
16 |
Monmouth |
15 |
12 - 3 - 3 |
|
17 |
Harvard |
19 |
12 - 4 - 0 |
|
18 |
UC Irvine |
NR |
12 - 3 - 3 |
|
19 |
North Carolina |
NR |
11 - 5 - 2 |
|
20 |
South Carolina |
12 |
11 - 4 - 1 |
|
21 |
Creighton |
23 |
11 - 4 - 3 |
|
22 |
San Diego State |
NR |
9 - 5 - 3 |
|
23 |
Old Dominion |
24 |
12 - 4 - 1 |
|
23 |
Illinois-Chicago |
NR |
12 - 2 - 4 |
|
25 |
Colgate |
24 |
8 - 3 - 5 |
|
Also receiving votes: Denver, Providence, Fairfield |
