Virginia Men's Soccer Tabbed #3 in the 2001 Soccer America Preseason Top 20 Poll

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Aug. 27, 2001

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia men’s soccer team was tabbed #3 in the 2001 Soccer America Preseason Top 20 Poll. The Connecticut Huskies, the defending National Champions, were tabbed #1, followed by the Southern Methodist Mustangs (#2), the Virginia Cavaliers (#3), the Indiana Hoosiers (#4 ) and the Furman Paladins at #5. Connecticut was also ranked #1 in the 2001 NSCAA/adidas preseason poll. The Clemson Tigers fell in at #6, followed by the UCLA Bruins (#7), the Creighton Bluejays (#8), the San Diego Toreros (#9) and the St. John’s Red Storm at #10 to round out the top 10 spots in the poll.

UVa was one of five schools from the Atlantic Coast Conference that appeared in the Top 20 (Virginia #3, Clemson #6, North Carolina #12, Maryland #15 and Duke #20). Aside from facing their ranked ACC foes, the Cavaliers will also play #7 UCLA, #8 Creighton and #16 James Madison in the 2001 regular season.

Virginia returns nine starters and 14 letterwinners from last year’s team that finished 17-6-1 overall, 5-1-0 in the ACC. The Cavaliers advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship for the third consecutive season.

Virginia has been listed #7 in the 2001 NSCAA/adidas preseason poll and was picked to finish second in the ACC in the preseason coaches poll. UVa was also ranked #3 in the Soccer America preseason poll in 2000.

Here is a look at the 2001 Soccer America Preseason Top 20:

Rank	Team			2000 Record1.	Connecticut		20-3-22.	Southern Methodist	20-5-03.	VIRGINIA		17-6-14.	Indiana			16-6-05.	Furman			17-4-26.	Clemson			14-4-27.	UCLA			12-7-08.	Creighton		22-4-09.	San Diego		16-2-210.	St. John's		14-5-211.	Washington		14-6-012.	North Carolina		21-3-013.	Saint Louis		13-3-314.	Stanford		18-3-115.	Maryland		10-9-116.	James Madison		17-4-117.	Bradley			15-7-218.	Penn State		13-6-219.	South Carolina		12-4-320.	Duke			15-6-0

— UVa —