Drury climbed three more spots to No. 4 in this week's national poll released on Tuesday.
Coach Ryan Swan's Panthers have won five in a row and are 8-1-0 on the season overall, including a 5-1-0 mark in Great Lakes Valley Conference play heading into weekend league matches at Missouri-St. Louis on Friday and Maryville on Sunday.
The No. 4 ranking is Drury's highest since it reached No. 2 nationally in 2009, when the Panthers finished 21-2 overall. DU climbed as high as fifth in the poll last season.
The Panthers have outscored their opponents 22-3 through nine matches and rank in the top 10 in official NCAA Division I statistical leaders in seven categories - third in save percentage (0.90) and goals against average (0.33), fourth in total assists (21.0) and shutout percentage (0.67), sixth in total goals (22.0) and won-loss-tied percentage (0.88) and seventh in total points (65).
Individually, sophomore keeper Blake Andrews ranks third in goals against average (.345) and sixth in save percentage (0.893), while junior Eric Heet is 10th nationally in total assists with five. Andrews leads the GLVC in both save percentage and goals against average and is tied for the league lead with five shutouts.
St. Edward's was ranked ninth nationally in the latest NSCAA poll. This ranking is the highest in program history.
The Hilltoppers have started the season strong with a 4-1-1 overall mark. St. Edward's only loss came during opening weekend when they fell Colorado Mines 2-1. Since then, the Hilltoppers have displayed dominant wins against No. 24 Metro State and McMurry and signature victories against quality opponents like Midwestern State, and then-No. 5 West Texas A&M.
St. Edward's defeated the Mustangs on the road in a double-overtime thriller. One week later, the Hilltoppers faced their stiffest competition yet against West Texas A&M. Overcoming lightning delays and the loss of a man early to a red card, St. Edward's defeated the fifth ranked team 2-1.
Andrew Fox and Daniel Riley have been a force on the offensive end. Fox leads the team with 14 points on five goals and four assists. Riley has scored 12 points all of which come from his team-leading six goals. John Kaschak continues on his success from a year ago. He has compiled a 4-1-1 overall record and is allowing just about a goal per game. Kaschak has made 23 saves for the season.
The Hilltoppers will be back in action on Saturday, as they return home to take on Oklahoma Christian in their Heartland Conference opener. They then meet Dallas Baptist on Monday.
| DATE/TIME (ET) | MATCHUP |
|---|---|
| Thursday, Oct. 3 | |
| 10 p.m. | No. 1 Simon Fraser vs. Seattle Pacific |
| Friday, Oct. 4 | |
| 2:30 p.m. | No. 2 LIU Post vs. Roberts Wesleyan |
| 6:30 p.m. | No. 8 Lewis vs. Bellarmine |
| 7 p.m. | No. 3 Rollins vs. Tampa |
| 7:30 p.m. | No. 10 UC San Diego vs. Cal State Stanislaus |
| 8:30 p.m. | No. 4 Drury vs. Missouri-St. Louis |
| Saturday, Oct. 5 | |
| 1 p.m. | No. 7 Notre Dame (Ohio) vs. Concord |
| 1 p.m. | No. 9 St. Edwardâs vs. Oklahoma Christian |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 5 Lander vs. Montevallo |
| 6:15 p.m. | No. 1 Simon Fraser vs. Saint Martinâs |
| Sunday, Oct. 6 | |
| Noon | No. 6 Northeastern State vs. Upper Iowa |
| 1 p.m. | No. 3 Rollins vs. No. 21 West Florida |
| 2:30 p.m. | No. 10 UC San Diego vs. Cal State East Bay |
| 2:30 p.m. | No. 8 Lewis vs. McKendree |
| 2:30 p.m. | No. 2 LIU Post vs. Daemen College (N.Y.) |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 4 Drury vs. Maryville |
| Monday, Oct. 7 | |
| 1 p.m. | No. 9 St. Edwardâs vs. Dallas Baptist |
| Wednesday, Oct. 9 | |
| 3:30 p.m. | No. 2 LIU Post vs. Nyack |
| 7:30 p.m. | No. 5 Lander vs. UNC Pembroke |
| 8 p.m. | No. 6 Northeastern State vs. Rogers State |
| 8 p.m. | No. 7 Notre Dame (Ohio) vs. Charleston |
