Colorado University Athletics
Soccer Ranked Seventh Nationally
October 20, 2003 | Soccer
BOULDER--Riding the momentum of a 14 game unbeaten streak, the University of Colorado soccer team is the seventh ranked team in the nation in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll released Monday.
The No. 7 ranking is the all-time high for the eighth-year program, and now holds bragging rights as the state of Colorado's highest ever women's soccer ranking as Denver was ranked ninth earlier in the season.
"I'm excited," said junior co-captain Jen Thais. "The most important thing right now is to keep on it. We can't settle."
Vocal during the preseason stating that her personal goal for the season was for the team to take the next step, advance to next month's NCAA Tournament and be nationally recognized. Now the seventh ranked team in the nation with a 13-1-1 record, the Buffs are sitting a top the Big 12 Conference standings with three games on the regular season slate and are in the running for the program's first-ever Big 12 crown.
"A lot will come down to the next two weekends," added Thais. "There are just five points separating the top four teams in the league, and that's not much at all. We still have three very good teams to play" and that's the bigger picture."
Colorado's sweep of both Kansas (2-1) and Oklahoma State (1-0) this weekend, combined with a pair of upsets around the league Sunday, puts the Buffs in the driver's seat with 19 points on a 6-0-1 league season with three games to play. They are four points ahead of both Nebraska (15) and Texas (15) and five ahead of Texas A&M (14). The irony as the four battle for the regular season title is that all have each other remaining on their respective schedules the last three games of season.
Colorado will face perennial national power Texas Friday night in Austin and will play at No. 9 Texas A&M Sunday afternoon. The Buffs will host No. 22 Nebraska in the regular season finale for both teams Friday, Oct. 31 in Boulder.
NSCAA/adidas National Rankings
1. North Carolina
2. Notre Dame
3. UCLA
4. Portland
5. West Virginia
6. Florida
7. COLORADO
8. West Virginia
9. Texas A&M
10. Santa Clara
11. Duke
12. Penn State
13. Pepperdine
14. Connecticut
15. Illinois
16. Wake Forest
16. Tennessee
18. Washington
19. Boston College
20. Utah
21. Ohio State
22. Nebraska
23. Auburn
24. Princeton
25. Cal Poly-SLO
