2016 Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Postseason Top 25 Poll – Dec. 7
NU No. 5, CC RV
By Spencer Scheve, Communications and Sports Information Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwestern Ohio claimed all 18 first-place votes and 498 points to earn the No. 1 ranking in the NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Wednesday.
Top 25 highlights (historical information dates back to 1999):
• For the first time in school history, Northwestern Ohio (23-2-1) earns the No. 1 ranking. The Racers defeated Spring Arbor (Mich.) (22-1-1) in the 2016 NAIA National Championship on Dec. 2, 1-0. This was the Northwestern Ohio’s first women’s soccer national title.
• Spring Arbor falls to No. 2, snapping a 10-poll streak as the No. 1 ranked team. The Cougars earned 482 points.
• Baker (Kan.) (17-4-3) climbs nine spots from No. 12 to No. 3 after losing to Spring Arbor, 2-0, in the semifinals. The Wildcats earned 465 points.
• Rounding out the top five is Vanguard (Calif.) (18-4-0) at No. 4 with 435 points and Northwest (Wash.) (14-7-3) with 423 points.
• There are two new teams in the Top 25 – No. 5 Northwest and No. 25 Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) (17-3-1).
• The last time Northwest was ranked was on Aug. 18, 2015, when the Eagles were ranked No. 20.
• The last time Our Lady of the Lake was ranked was on Aug. 16, 2016, when the Saints were ranked No. 21.
• The two institutions to fall out of the Top 25 is then-No. 22 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) and then-No.24 Georgetown (Ky.).
• The biggest move in the Top 25 is Martin Methodist (Tenn.) (14-4-3) falling 12 spots from No. 2 to No. 14 and Northwest from being unranked to No. 5 after advancing to the semifinals in the national tournament in this week’s edition.
• There are two conferences tied for the most schools represented in the Top 25 -- the Southern States Athletic Conference and the Golden State Athletic Conference. Both leagues boast three teams each.
• There are 15 of the 19 conferences with at least one team in the Top 25.
• Lindsey Wilson owns the longest active streak of consecutive appearances in the Top 25 with 179-consecutive mentions, including 150-straight in the Top 10.
• Lindsey Wilson has the most No. 1 rankings with 58, followed by former NAIA member Azusa Pacific (Calif.) with 33.
• Former NAIA member Lee's (Tenn.) 2011 team is the last squad to be preseason ranked No. 1 and win the national title in the same year.
For the complete ratings calendar, click here.
Poll Methodology
- The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, Association of Independent Institutions 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 considered a low ratings) 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 teams appears on.
- Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes
- For the complete ratings calendar, click here.
2016 NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Top 25 Poll - Postseason (Dec. 7)
RANK |
LAST ^ |
SCHOOL (1st PLACE VOTES) |
2016 RECORD |
FINAL POINTS |
1 |
6 |
Northwestern Ohio (18) |
23-2-1 |
498 |
2 |
1 |
Spring Arbor (Mich.) |
22-1-1 |
482 |
3 |
12 |
Baker (Kan.) |
17-4-3 |
465 |
4 |
7 |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
18-4-0 |
435 |
5 |
NR |
Northwest (Wash.) |
14-7-3 |
423 |
6 |
11 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
20-4-0 |
412 |
7 |
4 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
16-3-1 |
388 |
8 |
13 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
19-2-3 |
385 |
8 |
3 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
18-2-1 |
385 |
10 |
9 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
16-5-0 |
355 |
11 |
17 |
Reinhardt (Ga.) |
17-3-1 |
353 |
12 |
10 |
Westmont (Calif.) |
16-4-2 |
324 |
13 |
5 |
Mobile (Ala.) |
15-4-2 |
315 |
14 |
2 |
Martin Methodist (Tenn.) |
14-4-3 |
296 |
15 |
16 |
Cumberland (Tenn.) |
13-5-2 |
265 |
16 |
8 |
Biola (Calif.) |
15-2-2 |
261 |
17 |
25 |
Ottawa (Kan.) |
19-3-1 |
246 |
18 |
14 |
John Brown (Ark.) |
18-2-1 |
224 |
19 |
15 |
Hastings (Neb.) |
17-3-1 |
214 |
20 |
19 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
13-3-2 |
159 |
21 |
18 |
Kansas Wesleyan |
16-3-3 |
147 |
22 |
21 |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
17-1-1 |
144 |
23 |
20 |
Davenport (Mich.) |
18-2-1 |
131 |
24 |
23 |
Taylor (Ind.) |
14-2-1 |
129 |
25 |
NR |
Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) |
17-3-1 |
110 |
|
|
|
|
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Others receiving votes: Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 106; Carroll (Mont.) 64; MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 51; Park (Mo.) 47; Georgetown (Ky.) 44; Robert Morris (Ill.) 33; Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 21; Concordia (Neb.) 21; Siena Heights (Mich.) 9; Tennessee Wesleyan 6; Bellevue (Neb.) 5
^Ranking from Nov. 8, 2016