2015 NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – No. 3 (Oct. 6)
CRB No. 7, RMC 20
By Chad Waller, Director of Communications & Sports Information
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The third regular-season edition of the 2015 NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll has been announced Tuesday by the national office. For the third-straight week, Rio Grande (Ohio) boasts the No. 1 position. The RedStorm dropped its first match of the year after an 11-0-0 start – a 2-1 loss at then-No. 25 Union (Ky.). The fourth regular-season edition will be released on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000):
• After its first loss of the year, No. 1 Rio Grande (Ohio) tops the poll by a mere two-point margin over second-ranked and defending national champion Davenport (Mich.). The RedStorm notched nine first-place votes and 487 points and Davenport brought in seven first-place nods and 485 points.
• No. 3 Vanguard (Calif.) gathered the remaining two first-place votes.
• No. 7 Corban (Ore.) is the highest ranked team that has zero losses (10-0-0).
• The RedStorm landed the No. 1 spot for the third-consecutive time and eighth occasion in the last 10 polls, dating back to last year.
• Rio Grande claims its 49th all-time No. 1 position, which surpasses Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) for the most top rankings since 2000.
• Davenport is trying to become the first team to be ranked preseason No. 1 and win the national championship in the same season since Lindsey Wilson did it in 2001.
• The top-six ranked teams held their position from last week.
• There are still seven teams with an undefeated overall record. At this point last week, there were nine programs without a loss – the teams that suffered defeat in the last week are Rio Grande and No. 20 Rocky Mountain (Mont.).
• After a 2-1 victory over then-undefeated No. 1 Rio Grande Saturday, No. 16 Union (Ky.) climbs up nine spots for the best improvement. It is the Bulldogs best ranking since Oct. 7, 2014 (No. 14).
• No. 22 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) had the most significant drop, falling 12 positions. After a 2-3-1 stretch in their last five matches, the Warhawks hold their lowest ranking since a Preseason spot of No. 23.
• The following programs are newcomers to the Top 25: No. 13 Cumberland (Tenn.), No. 19 Dalton State (Ga.), No. 23 Park (Mo.) and No. 24 Hastings (Neb.). Hastings is the only team to be ranked earlier this year. In its second year of existence, Dalton State is in the Top 25 for the first time in school history. Prior to today, Cumberland last was ranked on Oct. 5, 2005 (No. 22) and Park last was mentioned on Nov. 9, 2010 (No. 20).
• Seventeen of the 19 conferences, Association of Independent Institutions (AII) and unaffiliated group were represented this week. The Heart of America Athletic Conference fields the most representatives in the Top 25 with three total: No. 5 Baker (Kan.), No. 9 Missouri Valley and No. 18 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.). Six other leagues landed a pair of ranked programs.
• Through four polls this year (including Preseason Top 25), there have been 37 different teams to be ranked at least once – 15 teams have held a ranking in each of these polls.
• Rio Grande boasts the most all-time No. 1 rankings with 49, followed by Lindsey Wilson with 48, Bethel (Tenn.) with 11 and Hastings with 10. Overall, 21 different teams have claimed the No. 1 spot in the poll.
• Rio Grande has garnered at least one top ranking in each of the past four seasons and five out of the last six overall.
• Lindsey Wilson is the longest consecutively-ranked active school at 98-straight polls, dating back to the first installment of the 2007 Top 25 Poll (Sept. 5). Rio Grande is next in line with 91-consecutive rankings, followed by Missouri Valley at 58.
• Since 2000, just two teams have spent the entire season ranked No. 1—Bethel in 2009 and Rio Grande in 2004.
Poll Methodology:
• The poll was voted upon by a panel of 19 head coaches representing each of the conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups.
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first place vote, 29 for second place and so on through the list.
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is a low rating) is removed and the team’s ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the team appears on.
• Teams who receive only one point in the ballot will not be listed in the “Receiving Votes” category.
• The Modified Ratings Percentage Index (MRPI) is a separate ranking conducted on Sept. 30, Oct. 21 and Nov. 16. The MRPI—first adopted in 2010—will select the at-large national championship qualifying teams and seed the 32-team national championship opening round field. Rio Grande (Ohio) topped the first MRPI on Sept. 30.
• For the complete Top 25 calendar, click
here.
2015 NAIA Men’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll (Oct. 6)
| RANK |
LAST WEEK |
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) |
2015 RECORD |
TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 |
1 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) (9) |
11-1-0 |
487 |
| 2 |
2 |
Davenport (Mich.) (7) |
8-1-1 |
485 |
| 3 |
3 |
Vanguard (Calif.) (2) |
9-1-0 |
470 |
| 4 |
4 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
7-1-0 |
436 |
| 5 |
5 |
Baker (Kan.) |
10-1-1 |
432 |
| 6 |
6 |
Northwestern Ohio |
7-2-0 |
422 |
| 7 |
11 |
Corban (Ore.) |
10-0-0 |
400 |
| 8 |
8 |
Thomas (Ga.) |
9-2-0 |
390 |
| 9 |
9 |
Missouri Valley |
8-2-0 |
371 |
| 10 |
16 |
Lyon (Ark.) |
9-0-1 |
312 |
| 11 |
7 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
10-3-0 |
297 |
| 12 |
12 |
Marymount (Calif.) |
6-2-1 |
296 |
| 13 |
RV |
Cumberland (Tenn.) |
10-0-0 |
292 |
| 14 |
14 |
Ashford (Iowa) |
7-3-1 |
285 |
| 15 |
13 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
7-2-2 |
273 |
| 16 |
25 |
Union (Ky.) |
9-0-2 |
268 |
| 17 |
18 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
8-2-1 |
261 |
| 18 |
19 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
8-3-1 |
246 |
| 19 |
NR |
Dalton State (Ga.) |
9-2-1 |
196 |
| 20 |
15 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
10-1-0 |
189 |
| 21 |
20 |
Science & Arts (Okla.) |
9-2-0 |
176 |
| 22 |
10 |
Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) |
7-3-1 |
147 |
| 23 |
RV |
Park (Mo.) |
6-0-2 |
146 |
| 24 |
RV |
Hastings (Neb.) |
6-3-1 |
118 |
| 25 |
21 |
Georgia Gwinnett |
5-3-3 |
115 |
Dropped from rankings: No. 17 Mobile (Ala.); No. 22 Florida Memorial; No. 23 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.); No. 24 Spring Arbor (Mich.).
Others Receiving Votes: WVU Tech (W.Va.) 82; Mobile (Ala.) 64; Southwest (N.M.) 47; Roosevelt (Ill.) 37; Florida Memorial 35; Mount Mercy (Iowa) 29; Columbia (Mo.) 18; Northwestern (Iowa) 17; Biola (Calif.) 14; Campbellsville (Ky.) 13; Madonna (Mich.) 12; Central Methodist (Mo.) 12; Spring Arbor (Mich.) 9; Southwestern Christian (Okla.) 4; Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 4.