University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Men Claim No. 1 Spot In Soccer America Rankings
August 17, 2006 | Men's Soccer
Aug. 17, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - For the first time since capturing the 2001 national championship, North Carolina sits atop the Soccer America Men's Top 25 Poll, which was released Thursday. The Tar Heels return 10 starters from a squad that posted a 17-4-3 record and reached the NCAA quarterfinals a year ago.
Ranked No. 5 in the NSCAA/adidas preseason poll, Carolina is one of four Atlantic Coast Conference teams ranked in the top six and one of seven in the top 19 by Soccer America. The Tar Heels are rated just ahead of No. 2 SMU, the team that eliminated them in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
Joining top-ranked Carolina in the Soccer America rankings from the ACC are: No. 3 Virginia, No. 4 Maryland, No. 6 Clemson, No. 15 Duke, No. 18 Wake Forest and No. 19 Virginia Tech. In addition to having six ranked conference foes on the 2006 slate, the Tar Heels will also face No. 11 Penn State Sept. 3 at the annual Carolina Nike Classic.
Carolina was ranked 10th by Soccer America in the final poll of last season and earned the top spot in the final poll in both 2000 and 2001. The Tar Heels were ranked as high as No. 2 by both Soccer America and the NSCAA last season.
UNC fans will get their first look at the 2006 Tar Heels at Fetzer Field in the Blue-White Exhibition Aug. 21 at 7 p.m.
