KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A unanimous pick at No. 1, Azusa Pacific (Calif.) begins the season as the top men's soccer program in the 2008 NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, announced today (Aug. 19). APU won its first ever men's soccer championship thanks to a 2-0 victory over fellow conference member Concordia (Calif.) last season. The Cougars earned all 18 first-place votes and 498 total points. One player expected back from last year's Championship team is junior defender Eric Winblad, who received 2007 NAIA All-America Honorable Mention status.
Concordia starts this season where they left off in 2007, at No. 2. The Eagles notched 468 total points after going 19-4-0 last season. A 2007 Semifinal participant, Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.) stands at No. 3 while Fresno Pacific (Calif.) holds the No. 4 position and Simon Fraser (B.C.) is at No. 5.
Three teams enter the Top 25 poll after being left out in the final 2007 rating; No. 20 Mid-Continent (Ky.), No. 21 Benedictine (Kan.), and No. 25 Savannah College of Art & Design (Ga.).
2008 NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll - (Aug. 19)
|
RANK |
LAST YEAR* |
SCHOOL |
VOTES |
2007 FINAL RECORD |
FINAL POINTS |
|
1 |
1 |
|
18 |
20-1-1 |
498 |
|
2 |
10 |
|
|
19-4-0 |
468 |
|
3 |
14 |
|
|
17-5-0 |
444 |
|
4 |
5 |
|
|
19-3-1 |
443 |
|
5 |
8 |
|
|
17-2-1 |
422 |
|
6 |
2 |
|
|
19-3-0 |
419 |
|
7 |
3 |
Southern |
|
18-1-1 |
407 |
|
8 |
7 |
|
|
17-2-2 |
402 |
|
9 |
6 |
|
|
14-5-1 |
362 |
|
10 |
18 |
|
|
13-5-1 |
323 |
|
11 |
9 |
|
|
15-3-0 |
314 |
|
12 |
23 |
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University ( |
|
12-7-2 |
269 |
|
13 |
16 |
|
|
13-6-0 |
266 |
|
14 |
4 |
|
|
19-3-0 |
260 |
|
15 |
13 |
|
|
15-5-1 |
249 |
|
16 |
12 |
|
|
13-3-1 |
225 |
|
17 |
17 |
|
|
16-5-3 |
212 |
|
18 |
15 |
|
|
16-2-1 |
208 |
|
19 |
11 |
|
|
19-6-1 |
203 |
|
20 |
NR |
|
|
13-7-2 |
178 |
|
21 |
RV |
|
|
13-4-1 |
172 |
|
22 |
19 |
|
|
21-1-0 |
163 |
|
23 |
22 |
|
|
13-4-1 |
162 |
|
24 |
21 |
|
|
16-4-0 |
109 |
|
25 |
NR |
|
|
13-5-0 |
98 |
Others receiving votes:
Covenant College (Ga.) 97; Madonna University (Mich.) 91; Grand View College (Iowa) 84; Notre Dame College (Ohio) 80; Lindenwood University (Mo.) 44; University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) 43; William Carey University (Miss.) 29; Friends University (Kan.) 20; Northwestern College (Iowa) 18; Northwood University 14; Bethel College (Tenn.) 12; University of Texas at Brownsville 11; Hannibal-LaGrange College (Mo.) 9; Saint Ambrose University (Iowa) 9; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) 4; Montreat College (N.C.) 3; Columbia College (Mo.) 3; Westminster College (Utah) 3; Rogers State University (Okla.) 1; Warner Pacific College (Ore.) 1; Kansas Wesleyan University 1; Taylor University (Ind.) 1; Martin Methodist College (Tenn.) 1; Union University (Tenn.) 1; Aquinas College (M
| Missouri Valley at | 7:30pm |
| Central Methodist | CST |
| Evangel at | 7:30pm |
| Baker | CST |
| Graceland at | 7:30pm |
| William Jewell | CST |
| Culver-Stockton at | 7:30pm |
| Lindenwood | CST |
| MidAmerica Nazarene at | 7:30pm |
| Avila | CST |
| Culver-Stockton at | 5:30pm |
| Lindenwood | CST |
| Missouri Valley at | 5:30pm |
| Central Methodist | CST |
| Graceland at | 5:30pm |
| William Jewell | CST |
| Evangel at | 5:30pm |
| Baker | CST |
| MidAmerica Nazarene at | 7:00pm |
| Avila | CST |
| Lindenwood vs | 1 |
| Bellevue University | 3 |
| NAIA Championship Pool Play | |
