Trojans Rise Three Spots to No. 16 in NAIA Coaches' Poll

NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Taylor University women's soccer team jumped three spots to No. 16 in the latest NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll, matching the highest ranking in team history. The Trojans were also ranked as high as 16th in each of the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

TU (10-2-1, 2-2-1 CL) received 229 points in the fourth edition of the poll, earning 43 more points than the last vote and leaping league rival Grace by two points. The Trojans have appeared in three consecutive Top 25 Polls for the first time since the middle portion of the 2018 season.

Since cracking the Top 25 Poll a month ago at No. 24, TU has posted three wins highlighted by a road victory over then-ranked No. 11 Aquinas along with a scoreless draw against No. 3 Marian. During that span, the Trojans nearly knocked off two additional ranked opponents before dropping a pair of narrow 1-0 results to Indiana Wesleyan and Spring Arbor.

The Trojans enter the ninth week of the season ranked second in the Crossroads League and 13th nationally in shots per game (21.3), while sitting 33rd nationally in goals per game (3.08). Defensively, the Trojans have posted eight shutouts in 13 matches – good for the third-most shutouts in the NAIA, while conceding the fourth-fewest goals (5) by any team this season.

The Crossroads League continues to prove to be one of the toughest conferences across the NAIA, with five CL squads sitting among the Top 25 teams this week including No. 3 Marian, No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 13 Spring Arbor, No. 16 Taylor and No. 17 Grace.

Only five teams held steady at their same rank from the previous release, with Keiser (Fla.), William Carey (Miss.), and Marian (Ind.) holding positions first through third.