NAIA Women's Soccer Post Season Poll Released
CU No. 5, NU No. 25
KANSAS CITY, Mo – National champion Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) heads into the offseason as the new No. 1 in the NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Postseason Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Wednesday. The Blue Raiders earned all 20 first-place votes and reeled in 560 total points on their way to the program’s 48th all-time top billing.
Lindsey Wilson (18-3-3) jumped up two spots from the Nov. 16 release after claiming its fourth national title by blanking Northwestern Ohio (22-2-1), 3-0, in the final match of the national championship at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Ala., on Dec. 6.
The Blue Raider attack was paced by the championship’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player Ayaki Shinada, who scored in the 44th minute to give her squad the 1-0 halftime lead. Not to be outdone, National Championship Most Valuable Player – Anna Vig – added two second half goals in a three minute span (64th and 67th minute), helping Lindsey Wilson cruise to victory.
In 16 national championship appearances, the Blue Raiders have now racked up four team titles – most recently in 2012. Head coach Drew Burwash has been at the helm for each of the programs’ banner seasons.
The 2014 national runner-up – Northwestern Ohio – comes in ranked second with 541 points. The Racers catapulted from eighth to No. 2 after a stellar run to the national championship final in Orange Beach. In just two seasons as a program, head coach Stuart Gore led his club to the final game in the team’s first-ever appearance in the national championship.
Northwestern Ohio’s loss in the title match was the team’s first defeat since dropping a 2-0 decision to Davenport (Mich.) on Oct. 25. The Racers are 4-1 all-time in the national championship.
In at No. 3 is Embry-Riddle (Fla.) with 525 points. The Eagles (19-2-0) were the top-ranked club entering the national championship, and made it to the national semifinals before falling to the Racers, 1-0, in double overtime.
The Eagles were on the wrong side of the scoreboard for the first time since losing to then-No. 9 William Carey (Miss.), 2-1, on Sept. 12 (15 matches). The shutout was the first of 2014 for Embry-Riddle.
Fellow The Sun Conference member Northwood (Fla.) (17-6-2) flew up the postseason ratings more than any other program, landing at No. 4 from No. 15 and collected 506 points. The Seahawks, who were the 15-seed heading into the national championship, overwhelmed their competition before dropping a heartbreaker in overtime, 2-1, to eventual champion Lindsey Wilson in the national semifinals.
Finishing at No. 5 is 2013 national champion Concordia (Ore.) (18-2-2). The Cavaliers corralled 482 points on their way to finishing in the top five. Head coach Grant Landy’s club reached the quarterfinals of the national championship before losing to the Racers, 1-0.
Within the poll, No. 12 Mobile (Ala.) plunged the furthest of any program, down from No. 5. The Rams – the host school of the national championship – were bounced in the second round by the Blue Raiders, 5-1.
No. 16 Hastings (Neb.) jumps into the Top 25 after a good showing against Embry-Riddle in the second round of national championship action. The Broncos gave the Eagles all they could handle for 70 minutes and trailed only 1-0, before Embry-Riddle opened up the lead and won, 3-0. Oklahoma Baptist also entered the rating at No. 24.
Fourteen conferences/Association of Independent Institutions/unaffiliated groups are represented throughout the Top 25, led by four teams from the Golden State Athletic Conference. The Southern States Athletic Conference comes in second with three teams ranked in the poll.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, Association of Independent Institutions and unaffiliated groups.
For the complete women’s soccer ratings calendar, click here.
Notes: (All information dates back to 1999) No. 1 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) won its fourth national title in school history on Dec. 6 with a 3-0 victory over No. 2 Northwestern Ohio… The Blue Raiders own the longest active streak of consecutive appearances in the Top 25 with 160 mentions, including a string of 130 top 10 rankings in-a-row… For the second-ranked Racers, it is their highest ranking in program history… The drop to No. 3 for Embry-Riddle (Fla.) snapped a streak of three-consecutive polls as the top team for the Eagles… No. 18 Grace (Ind.) sits in its highest ranking in school history. It’s the program’s seventh national rating ever, and seventh-straight ranking… Lindsey Wilson boasts the most top spot rankings at 48, followed by former NAIA member Azusa Pacific (Calif.) with 33… No. 5 Concordia (Ore.) owns the second longest active streak at 153-straight polls… Embry-Riddle, Cumberland (Tenn.), Concordia and now Lindsey Wilson were the only four teams to be No. 1 in 2014.
2014 NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – Postseason (Dec. 10)
|
RANK |
LAST ^ |
SCHOOL (1st PLACE VOTES) |
2014 RECORD |
FINAL POINTS |
|
1 |
3 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (20) |
18-3-3 |
560 |
|
2 |
8 |
Northwestern Ohio |
22-2-1 |
541 |
|
3 |
1 |
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) |
19-2-0 |
525 |
|
4 |
15 |
Northwood (Fla.) |
17-6-2 |
506 |
|
5 |
2 |
Concordia (Ore.) |
18-2-2 |
482 |
|
6 |
11 |
Cumberland (Tenn.) |
16-4-1 |
453 |
|
7 |
9 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
19-2-1 |
443 |
|
8 |
13 |
Martin Methodist (Tenn.) |
14-6-1 |
442 |
|
9 |
4 |
Westmont (Calif.) |
16-4-0 |
411 |
|
10 |
6 |
Spring Arbor (Mich.) |
19-1-2 |
399 |
|
11 |
7 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
18-3-1 |
389 |
|
12 |
5 |
Mobile (Ala.) |
15-3-3 |
356 |
|
13 |
16 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
13-6-1 |
345 |
|
13 |
15 |
Cal State San Marcos |
11-3-5 |
345 |
|
15 |
10 |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
16-3-2 |
299 |
|
16 |
RV |
Hastings (Neb.) |
17-5-1 |
287 |
|
17 |
12 |
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) |
16-4-1 |
260 |
|
18 |
18 |
Grace (Ind.) |
17-4-4 |
234 |
|
19 |
25 |
Concordia (Calif.) |
12-8-1 |
221 |
|
20 |
19 |
Westminster (Utah) |
15-4-2 |
215 |
|
21 |
17 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
16-2-0 |
199 |
|
22 |
20 |
Siena Heights (Mich.) |
15-4-2 |
174 |
|
23 |
22 |
Trinity International (Ill.) |
14-4-2 |
152 |
|
24 |
RV |
Oklahoma Baptist |
15-6-1 |
139 |
|
25 |
21 |
Northwest (Wash.) |
11-6-2 |
128 |
|
|
Others Receiving Votes: Concordia (Neb.) 113; Science & Arts (Okla.) 92; AIB (Iowa) 65; Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 35; Kansas Wesleyan 31; Biola (Calif.) 27; Baker (Kan.) 23; Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 20; Ottawa (Kan.) 13; Ashford (Iowa) 6; Missouri Valley 5; Reinhardt (Ga.) 5.
^ 2014 NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – Final (Nov. 16)