After what was a first weekend that saw plenty of upsets and a lot of movement in the rankings, the NCAA Men’s soccer season is off to a bang. Here are the updated rankings provided by NCAA.com and below are some of the key results in the first week of action.
UCLA Gets Number 1 Ranking
Opening the season on the road against the number 22 and 11 teams in the nation, respectively, is one way to start your season off with a bang. But the Bruins didn’t shy away from the opportunity. They defeated the then-ranked 11th Demon Deacons 3-1, before a 1-0 victory over North Carolina. The Bruins let everyone know that last year's disappointing College Cup performance was in the past and their focus on the task ahead.
Louisville Catapults To Number 2
Speaking of opening the season with a bang, the Cardinals did just that. They took down 2013 runner-up Maryland in a massive 1-0 upset, which saw senior goalkeeper Joachim Ball make one spectacular save after another to clinch victory. It’s only one game, but the Cardinals obviously aren’t a layover and though their next two matches are against lower ranked teams, they will play a solid Duke team. We’ll check back on them then.
Creighton Breaks Into Top 10
Creighton are one of nine new teams to join the top 25 rankings this week. The Blue Jays soared to the number 8 spot after victories against #20 Stanford and a decent Santa Clara team. It is yet to be seen if they are deserving of the ranking, but they don’t have too tough a road early on in their Big East schedule. Regardless, they are a team to keep an eye on.
PAC 12 Is Stacked
In what is the best conference in the nation this year, the PAC 12 is off to a good start. Led by UCLA atop the rankings, Washington and California are definite contenders for the College Cup. Yes Cal dropped to #20 in the rankings, but their loss to the Tar Heels should be taken with a grain of salt. It was each team's first match of the season and what should be noted is the way Cal rebounded following the loss. They smoked a solid Wake Forrest team 4-1 who were preseason-ranked #11. Third is the Washington Huskies. One of the most complete teams in the nation, the Huskies started the season with a great result beating a good Gonzaga team 4-0. They won’t be challenged in their next two matches, but they’ll play a ranked UCONN team in the middle of the month followed by two decent teams in South Florida and Portland. That will lead them into PAC 12 play, where they open against CAL and Stanford.
Tight Pack At The Top
Four of the top six teams atop the rankings are within 20 points of each other. There are a lot of good teams this year that all have the capability to take home the College Cup. The crazy part is that Maryland and Michigan State, who were both in the Final Four last year, aren’t included in that group. There are good teams looking in from the outside, which sets us up for a good college season in 2014.
