Aug. 16, 2001
The Santa Clara women's soccer team has been ranked sixth according a preseason poll by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and adidas, the NCSAA announced today.
Santa Clara moved up one spot from last season's final rankings, as the Broncos finished the 2000 season ranked seventh by the NSCAA after going 16-7-1 and advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
Defending NCAA Champion North Carolina was ranked first in the poll. SCU home opponents and 2000 College Cup participants UCLA, Portland and Notre Dame were ranked second through fourth, respectively, while Nebraska rounded out the top five.
Five other Bronco opponents also ranked in the top 25, led by California at 14th, followed by Stanford and Florida State at 15th and 16th. Santa Clara will also face No. 21 Dartmouth and No. 22 Wake Forest.
On Monday, Soccer Buzz Magazine ranked SCU 11th nationally and sixth in the West Region. Six of Santa Clara's opponents are also ranked, including five of the poll's top 10.
Having advanced to 12 straight NCAA Tournaments, the Santa Clara women's soccer team is looking to make the number 13 lucky once again. The quest to reach a fifth College Cup in six seasons begins August 31, when Cal Poly visits Buck Shaw Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online by clicking here or by calling the athletic ticket office at 408-554-4660.
For the complete poll, please visit the NSCAA website.