Virginia Men's Soccer Tabbed #2 in the 2002 Soccer America Preseason Top 25

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Aug. 27, 2002

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia men’s soccer team was ranked #2 in the 2002 Soccer America Preseason Top 25 poll for the NCAA Division I men’s soccer rankings. Indiana, the 2001 national runner-up, was ranked preseason #1 in both the Soccer America preseason poll and in the 2002 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas? preseason national rankings. Virginia came in at #2 in the Soccer America Preseason Top 25 and was also ranked #5 in the NSCAA/adidas Preseason Top 25. Following UVa in the Soccer America poll was North Carolina, the 2001 National Champion, at #3, Stanford at #4 and Connecticut at #5.

Rounding out the Top 10 teams in the Soccer America Preseason Poll was St. John’s at #6, Washington at #7, Clemson at #8, Rutgers at #9 and Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) at #10.

UVa is one of three schools from the Atlantic Coast Conference that appeared in the Soccer America Preseason Top 25 (Virginia #2, Clemson #8, Wake Forest #21). UVa was also one of four schools from the ACC that appeared in the top ten spots of the NSCAA/adidas poll (North Carolina #4, Virginia #5, Clemson #9, Maryland #10). The ACC had a total of five teams listed in the NSCAA/adidas Top 25 rankings with Wake Forest coming in at #24.

UVa was the only team from the Commonwealth of Virginia to appear in both the Soccer America and NSCAA/adidas Preseason Top 25 polls. Last season, two schools from the state (Virginia at #3, James Madison at #16) were ranked in the Soccer America Preseason Poll and three schools from Virginia were ranked in the NSCAA Preseason Top 25 (UVa at #7, James Madison at #20 and William & Mary at #25 ).

Virginia is scheduled to play four teams ranked in the Soccer America Preseason Poll during the 2002 regular season. Aside from facing off against its ranked conference foes (North Carolina #3, Clemson #8 and Wake Forest #21), UVa will also battle #25 Kentucky from the Mid-American Conference (member in men’s soccer). Virginia is scheduled to play six teams ranked in the NSCAA/adidas Preseason Poll during the 2002 regular season. UVa will face four ranked ACC opponents (North Carolina #4, Clemson #9, Maryland #10 and Wake Forest #24) and will also battle #17 Penn State and #20 Kentucky.

Virginia returns seven starters and 14 letterwinners from last year’s team that finished 17-2-1 overall, 6-0-0 in the ACC. Last season, UVa became the first school in ACC history to win all of its conference games by shutout and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship. Last year, Virginia was ranked #3 in the Soccer America Preseason Poll and #7 in the NSCAA/adidas Preseason Poll in 2001.

The Cavaliers will kick-off their 2002 regular season when UVa faces Kentucky in the season opener for both teams in the 2002 Virginia Soccer Classic. The contest is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be played at Kl?ckner Stadium.

Here is a look at the 2002 Soccer America Preseason Top 25:

Rank	Team1.	Indiana2.	VIRGINIA3.	North Carolina4.	Stanford5.	Connecticut6.	St. John's7.	Washington8.	Clemson9.	Rutgers10.	Alabama-Birmingham (UAB)11.	Saint Louis12.	UCLA13.	Furman14.	Fairleigh Dickinson15.	Portland16.	Southern Methodist (SMU)17.	Wisconsin-Milwaukee18.	South Carolina19.	Creighton20.	San Diego21.	Wake Forest22.	California23.	Notre Dame24.	Santa Clara25.	Kentucky

Here is a look at the 2002 NSCAA/adidas? Preseason Top 25:

Rank	Team1.	Indiana2.	Stanford3. St. John's4.	North Carolina5.	VIRGINIA6.	Connecticut7.	Rutgers8.	Southern Methodist (SMU)9.	Clemson10.	Maryland11.	Saint Louis12.	Washington13.	UCLA14.	Fairleigh Dickinson15.	Alabama-Birmingham (UAB)16.	South Carolina17.	Penn State18.	Boston College19.	Creighton20.	Kentucky21.	Furman22.	Loyola (Md.)23.	Syracuset-24.	San Diegot-24.	Wake Forest

— UVa —