2017 Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Northwestern Ohio headlines the preseason edition of the 2017 NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The Racers were the unanimous selection, garnering all 17 first-place votes and 467 total points en route to the top spot.
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 1999)
• The University of Northwestern Ohio claims the No. 1 ranking for the second time in program history and enters the year looking to become the first program to win back-to-back titles since Lee (Tenn.) won four-straight from 2008 to 2011.
• The Racers open the year back-to-back home matches before a four-match road trip pits the club against No. 11 Westmont (Calif.) (August 29), No. 3 Vanguard (Calif.) (August 31), No. 2 Spring Arbor (Mich.) (Sept. 6) and No. 5 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (Sept. 9). The University of Northwestern Ohio opens the year against Marian (Ind.) on August 22.
• Three newcomers join the Top 25 – No. 23 Robert Morris (Ill.), No. 25 (tied) Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) and No. 25 (tied) MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.). All three teams were ranked at some point during the 2016 season.
• Lindsey Wilson boasts the longest active streak in the Top 25 with 180-consecutive mentions, including 151-straight in the top 10.
• The Blue Raiders also own the most No. 1 rankings since 1999 with 58.
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.
2017 NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll
| RANK | LAST TIME^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2016 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | University of Northwestern Ohio (17) | 23-2-1 | 467 |
| 2 | 2 | Spring Arbor (Mich.) | 21-1-1 | 452 |
| 3 | 4 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 18-4-0 | 430 |
| 4 | 6 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 20-4-0 | 414 |
| 5 | 7 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 16-3-1 | 394 |
| 6 | 3 | Baker (Kan.) | 17-4-3 | 384 |
| 7 | T8 | Keiser (Fla.) | 18-2-1 | 370 |
| 8 | 5 | Northwest (Wash.) | 15-7-2 | 367 |
| 9 | T8 | Columbia (Mo.) | 19-2-3 | 352 |
| 10 | 10 | William Carey (Miss.) | 16-5-0 | 345 |
| 11 | 12 | Westmont (Calif.) | 16-4-2 | 322 |
| 12 | 11 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 17-3-1 | 303 |
| 13 | 13 | Mobile (Ala.) | 15-4-2 | 294 |
| 14 | 14 | Martin Methodist (Tenn.) | 14-4-3 | 277 |
| 15 | 17 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 19-3-1 | 244 |
| 16 | 15 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 13-5-2 | 241 |
| 17 | 19 | Hastings (Neb.) | 17-3-1 | 218 |
| 18 | 18 | John Brown (Ark.) | 18-2-1 | 216 |
| 19 | 20 | Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) | 13-3-2 | 196 |
| 20 | 22 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 17-1-1 | 185 |
| 21 | 21 | Kansas Wesleyan | 16-3-3 | 164 |
| 22 | 24 | Taylor (Ind.) | 14-2-1 | 133 |
| 23 | RV | Robert Morris (Ill.) | 13-5-2 | 118 |
| 24 | 25 | Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) | 17-3-1 | 117 |
| T25 | RV | Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) | 14-5-0 | 76 |
| T25 | RV | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 12-5-5 | 76 |
Dropped from Top 25: None
Others Receiving Votes: Carroll (Mont.) 61; Siena Heights (Mich.) 42; Georgetown (Ky.) 33; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 32; Park (Mo.) 31; The Master’s (Calif.) 27; Bellevue (Neb.) 22; Midland (Neb.) 12; Missouri Valley 8; Tennessee Wesleyan 5; Georgia Gwinnett 5; Marian (Ind.) 3.
^from in 2016 Postseason Poll
