Statesmen Vault to #11
Courtesy of its best start in school history, the William Penn men’s soccer team made a massive jump as the NAIA released its first top-25 poll Wednesday.
WPU (4-1-1) picked up 24 spots since the preseason ranking and is now #11 in the nation with 319 points. It is the first time the team has been in the top 25 since 2021; it is also the highest ranking for the program since being #11 on November 13, 2019.
The highlight of the team’s strong start came last Saturday with a 4-0 win over then-#2 Mobile (Ala.).
The Statesmen are one of five representatives from the Heart of America Athletic Conference in the rating and have moved up to second within that grouping. MidAmerica Nazarene heads the quintet at #7, while Missouri Valley is #17 and Central Methodist is #21. Grand View is unofficially 31st as well.
Bethel (Ind.) continues to be #1 with 498 points and 17 of the 18 first-place votes. Dalton State (Ga.), Mid-America Christian (Okla.), Rio Grande (Ohio), and Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) round out the top five. #7 St. Thomas (Fla.) owns the final first-place vote.
William Penn concludes its challenging non-conference slate Saturday by traveling to Sioux City to face Briar Cliff at 3:30 p.m.
NAIA Men’s Soccer Rating #1 – September 6, 2023
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. Bethel (Ind.) (17)
2. Dalton State (Ga.)
3. Mid-America Christian (Okla.)
4. Rio Grande (Ohio)
5. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
6. St. Thomas (Fla.) (1)
7. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
7. Mobile (Ala.)
9. Columbia (Mo.)
10. William Carey (Miss.)
11. William Penn
12. Georgia Gwinnett
13. Keiser (Fla.)
14. Oklahoma Wesleyan
15. Grace (Ind.)
16. Bethel (Tenn.)
17. Missouri Valley
18. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
19. Florida National
20. Life (Ga.)
21. Central Methodist (Mo.)
22. Madonna (Mich.)
23. Indiana Wesleyan
24. Southern Oregon
25. Columbia International (S.C.)
Receiving Votes: Westcliff (Calif.) 68; Cumberlands (Ky.) 66; Indiana Tech 64; Concordia (Neb.) 63; WVU Tech (W.Va.) 46; Grand View 42; Vanguard (Calif.) 34; Union (Ky.) 24; Missouri Baptist 23; Tennessee Southern (Tenn.) 20; LSU Shreveport (La.) 19; Oregon Tech 11; Northwestern Ohio 11; UC Merced (Calif.) 9; Southeastern (Fla.) 8; John Brown (Ark.) 8; Hope International (Calif.) 4; Briar Cliff 4; Louisiana Christian 3; Warner Pacific (Ore.) 3; Ottawa (Kan.) 3.
