Wins over George Washington and Louisville were more than enough for Virginia to retain the No. 1 spot in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
The Cavaliers’ two victories gave UVA one more the rest of the top 5 combined to accumulate. Outside of Charlottesville, teams ranked second through fifth had a cumulative record of 0-2-3 last week.
Stanford dropped a competitive match with Washington that required two overtimes before a draw with Oregon State. Wake Forest joined the Cardinal in the loss column after Boston College upset the Demon Deacons on Friday.
WATCH: Stanford's Andrew Thomas explains how Cardinal can bounce back
Neither SMU nor Georgetown lost last week. However, the Hoyas played to a scoreless draw against DePaul in their only fixture of the week. The Mustangs were the only other team to record a win in top 5, handling Central Arkansas and later rallying for a 3-3 tie against AAC foe Central Florida.
Amid the commotion, Washington soared five spots to No. 2. The Huskies are winners of six straight, including their two most recent decisions — a pair of single-goal victories over Stanford and California.
Here’s how the rest of the poll shaped out.
|
RANK |
SCHOOL |
POINTS |
RECORD |
PREVIOUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia (25) | 669 | 10-0-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Washington | 627 | 10-1-0 | 7 |
| 3 | Southern Methodist (1) | 621 | 9-0-1 | 4 |
| 4 | Indiana (1) | 561 | 7-1-2 | 8 |
| 5 | Charlotte | 521 | 8-0-2 | 9 |
| 6 | Wake Forest | 510 | 8-2-0 | 3 |
| 7 | Stanford | 492 | 7-1-2 | 2 |
| 8 | Saint Mary's | 486 | 9-1-0 | 10 |
| 9 | Central Florida | 459 | 7-1-2 | 11 |
| 10 | St. John's | 433 | 9-1-0 | 12 |
| 11 | Clemson | 420 | 9-1-1 | 6 |
| 12 | Georgetown | 411 | 7-1-1 | 5 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 313 | 8-0-2 | 15 |
| 14 | Missouri State | 289 | 9-0-0 | 17 |
| 15 | Florida International | 281 | 7-0-3 | 13 |
| 16 | Kentucky | 254 | 6-1-2 | 19 |
| 17 | James Madison | 245 | 8-2-1 | 16 |
| 18 | North Carolina | 233 | 6-2-2 | 20 |
| 19 | Navy | 173 | 11-0-0 | 21 |
| 20 | North Carolina State | 139 | 6-2-1 | RV |
| 21 | Duke | 122 | 6-3-1 | 18 |
| 22 | Virginia Tech | 109 | 6-2-2 | 22 |
| 23 | San Diego | 89 | 8-1-1 | 25 |
| 24 | Cal State Fullerton | 73 | 8-2-1 | 14 |
| 25 | Maryland | 60 | 6-3-1 | RV |
Joining the Huskies as newcomers to the top 5 is Charlotte. The 49ers have won five straight and remain unbeaten in 2019, prompting a four-spot jump up from a week ago.
After a Bay sweep, the Huskies move up to #️⃣2️⃣ in the NCAA/United Soccer Coaches Poll! 💪
— Washington Men's Soccer (@UW_MSoccer) October 8, 2019
It's the highest the Huskies have been ranked in the polls since spending two weeks at No. 1 in 2014.
>> https://t.co/4sHpSKifF4#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/VcJBtsqwq3
As Charlotte and Washington rose, Clemson, Georgetown and Cal State Fullerton fell the furthest.
The Hoyas dropped seven spots following a scoreless draw with DePaul in its only match of the week. Clemson drew ranked Virginia Tech and beat College of Charleston; however, the Tigers slid to No. 11.
Cal State Fullerton experienced the largest drop, a difference of 11 spots after being handed its first two losses. The Titans lost a close one to James Madison in overtime before a 2-0 defeat by defending champion Maryland.
Biggest risers
Washington's jump from No. 7 to No. 2 was the largest week-to-week improvement from the past poll to the present. Indiana and Charlotte weren't far behind as the Hoosiers and 49ers each experienced a rise of four spots.
All three are now in the top 5.
Only two new teams enter the rankings this week, the fewest number of additions to the poll in 2019. North Carolina State cracked the top 25 for the first time this season, previously receiving votes in multiple polls.
Additionally, Maryland re-enters the poll after fluctuating in and out of the rankings. The Terrapins beat then No. 14 Cal State Fullerton 2-0 on Oct. 5.
Dropped out
West Virginia (23), Louisville (24)
Looking ahead
Boston College is coming off a huge home win over then No. 3 Wake Forest. The Eagles will get a chance to pull off another upset, this time over top-ranked Virginia. The Cavaliers put their 10-game winning streak and No. 1 ranking on the line Friday in a clash of ACC teams.
Kentucky was on the brink of falling out of the top 25 before rattling off four consecutive wins. Indiana righted the ship after its first loss of the season with a trio of victories. Now, two of the hotter teams of late meet in a top-20 matchup. Winning streaks are on the line in Bloomington on Wednesday.
RECAP: Indiana tops Big Ten standings after win over Penn State
For Stanford to get rolling again, the Cardinal will have to slow down the top scorer in Division I. UCLA’s Milan Iloski is fresh off a 5-goal outburst against San Diego State, bringing his season total up to 14. Thursday’s showdown in Los Angeles provides an opportunity to keep pace with Oregon State and Washington atop the Pac-12.
Nothing threatens a perfect season quite like a rivalry game. A tale of two seasons, Navy comes into Friday's match 11-0 and ranked No. 19 while Army has been shut out in its past five games. Don’t underestimate Army in what should be a very competitive game. The Black Knights haven’t lost a regular season match in the series since 2014.
