UCSB will open the 2010 men’s soccer season as the No. 8-ranked team in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America preseason poll, which was released today.
The Gauchos last week were tabbed sixth in a national ranking by College Soccer News.
Akron, the 2009 NCAA College Cup runner-up, was picked as the No. 1-rated team in the preseason by the NSCAA ranking committee. Virginia, the defending national champion, is second.
The Atlantic Coast Conference has four schools in the top 10. Following Virginia, Wake Forest is rated No. 3, North Carolina, No. 4, and Maryland, No. 6.
UCLA, which knocked UCSB out of the Sweet 16 in last year’s NCAA Tournament, received the No. 5 ranking.
The top 10 is rounded out by Tulsa (7), Northwestern (9) and Harvard. Neil Jones, a former UCSB player and assistant coach, is the assistant at Northwestern.
Other West Coast teams in the top 25 include Stanford (13), Portland (19) and UC Irvine (25).
UCSB’s schedule includes four teams in the top 25. The Gauchos will play home matches against UCLA (Sept. 24) and Duke (Oct. 15), travel to UC Irvine (Oct. 30) and face Harvard at the New Mexico Tournament (Sept. 17).
The NSCAA ranking committee is made up of 23 coaches representing their conferences and a chairperson (Carl Rees of Fairfield). George Kuntz of UC Irvine is the Big West Conference representative. Also from the West Coast are Paul Krumpe of Loyola Marymount and the WCC, Lev Kirshner of San Diego State and the Pac 10 and Mike Linenberger of Sacramento State and the MPSF.
UCSB, which is hosting the 2010 Men’s College Cup national semifinals and final, Dec. 10-12, opens its season on Aug. 21 with an exhibition game against Westmont at Harder Stadium.
Coach Tim Vom Steeg’s Gauchos, who return nine starters from a 17-5-2 team, open training camp on Monday, Aug. 16.
NSCAA Preseason Top 25
1. Akron (23-1-1 in 2009)
2. Virginia (19-3-3)
3. Wake Forest (17-4-3)
4. North Carolina (16-2-4)
5. UCLA (12-4-4)
6. Maryland (15-6-2)
7. Tulsa (15-5-2)
8. UCSB ( 17-5-2)
9. Northwestern (11-5-4)
10. Harvard (14-4-1)
11. Duke (14-7-0)
12. Boston College (14-9-0)
13. Stanford (12-6-2)
14. Drake (16-7-2)
15. Monmouth (18-2-2)
16. South Florida (14-4-3)
17. St. John’s (9-3-9)
18. Ohio State (12-5-4)
19. Portland (12-6-5)
20T. Louisville (13-3-4)
20T. Indiana (12-10-1)
22. Connecticut (11-4-4)
23. North Carolina-Wilmington (14-3-5)
24. Michigan State (11-8-2)
25. UC Irvine (15-7-0)
Others receiving votes: North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Charlotte, Wisconsin-Green Bay.
