Winners of Four Against Ranked Foes, WPU Now in Top 25
Oskaloosa–The William Penn men’s soccer team has endured an up-and-down season, but its current hot streak has forced the national raters to take notice as the NAIA released its eighth top-25 poll Wednesday.
The Statesmen (10-6, 6-4 Heart), who have won five in a row including two over ranked opponents, are now #24 with 95 points. It is the first time WPU has been in the top 25 since being #19 on December 11, 2019.
WPU has more than weathered an extremely difficult slate that has featured nine of its 16 foes being ranked or receiving votes at some point this season (5-4 record). Six teams are in the current top 25 with the navy and gold owning a 3-3 record versus those squads.
William Penn is one of six teams from the Heart of America Athletic Conference in the poll with Central Methodist leading the way at #1. Missouri Valley is #10 and MidAmerica Nazarene is #17, while Baker (#26) and Grand View (#39) are in the receiving votes section.
CMU is followed by Oklahoma Wesleyan, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) (final first-place vote), Mobile (Ala.), and Keiser (Fla.) in the NAIA’s top five.
The Statesmen host Culver-Stockton Wednesday in Heart action at 7:30 p.m.
NAIA Men’s Soccer Rating #8 – October 27, 2021
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. Central Methodist (Mo.) (17)
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan
3. Mid-American Christian (Okla.) (1)
4. Mobile (Ala.)
5. Keiser (Fla.)
6. Columbia (Mo.)
7. St. Thomas (Fla.)
8. Indiana Tech
9. Bellevue (Neb.)
10. Missouri Valley
11. William Carey (Miss.)
12. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
13. Dalton State (Ga.)
14. Rio Grande (Ohio)
15. Milligan (Tenn.)
16. Georgia Gwinnett
17. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
18. Vanguard (Calif.)
19. Oregon Tech
20. Columbia International (S.C.)
21. Northwestern
22. Cumberland (Tenn.)
23. Ottawa (Ariz.)
24. William Penn
25. McPherson (Kan.)
Receiving Votes: Baker (Kan.) 61; Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 54; Southwestern Christian (Okla.) 38; Houston-Victoria (Texas) 37; Bethel (Ind.) 34; Lyon (Ark.) 28; Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 26; Southeastern (Fla.) 25; Tennessee Wesleyan 25; Cumberlands (Ky.) 23; Hope International (Calif.) 22; Southern Oregon 15; University of Northwestern Ohio 14; Grand View (Iowa) 10; Madonna (Mich.) 9; Marymount California 6; Oklahoma Panhandle State 3; Warner Pacific (Ore.) 3; Friends (Kan.) 3.
