Patriot Men enter D2 soccer poll at No. 21

As a result of a 14-match unbeaten streak and sweeping both the Peach Belt Conference regular-season and tournament titles, the Francis Marion University men's soccer team entered the national rankings this week at the No. 21 position, according to the latest  National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Top 25 poll released Tuesday (Nov. 11).

The national ranking is the first for the Patriot program since FMU was ranked 19th in the Sept. 22, 2003, poll.

The 13-4-3 Patriots will play a first-round NCAA Division II national tournament match at Carson-Newman College on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m.

FMU appeared in the national poll for four weeks during the 2003 season.  During a stretch between 1999 and 2001, Francis Marion appeared in 22 of 23 Top 25 polls. 

NCAA Rankings  National  Men

Division II  National Poll  - November 11, 2008

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No.         School                                            Prev.     W-L-T  

1              Lynn (Fla.)                                   2              17 -  1 -  0   

2              Fort Lewis (Colo.)                        3              17 -  1 -  3   

3              Midwestern State (Texas)           1              17 -  2 -  0   

4              Rockhurst (Mo.)                           6              16 -  1 -  3   

5              Tusculum (Tenn.)                         7              18 -  2 -  1   

6              Sonoma State (Calif.)                  11           18 -  2 -  3   

7              Millersville (Pa.)                           5              16 -  3 -  0   

8              Southern New Hampshire           13           15 -  2 -  4   

9              Cal State Dominguez Hills            4              16 -  2 -  4   

10           Northern Kentucky                        9              15 -  2 -  2   

11           Tampa (Fla.), University of           10           15 -  3 -  1   

12           Dowling (N.Y.)                               8              16 -  3 -  0   

13           Lees-McRae (N.C.)                        12           16 -  2 -  3   

14           East Stroudsburg (Pa.)                 15           15 -  6 -  0   

15           St. Edward's (Texas)                     14           13 -  4 -  2   

16           Lewis (Ill.)                                     22           14 -  1 -  2   

17           West Florida                                  RV          15 -  3 -  2   

18           Cal State Los Angeles                   16           13 -  4 -  3   

19           Metro State (Colo.)                       18           12 -  6 -  3   

20           Massachusetts-Lowell                   21           11 -  3 -  4   

21           Francis Marion (S.C.)                      NR          13 -  4 -  3   

22           West Texas A&M                           24           12 -  5 -  0   

23           Ashland (Ohio)                               19           15 -  3 -  2   

24           Limestone (S.C.)                            17           15 -  2 -  2   

25           Notre Dame de Namur (Calif.)        RV          14 -  3 -  3   

Also receiving votes: California (Pa.), Colorado State-Pueblo, Montevallo (Ala.)