Monday, September 13, 2010

Off to its best four-match start of all-time, the Valparaiso men’s soccer team cracked the NSCAA Regional Rankings for just the second time in program history this week, coming in at #10 in the Great Lakes region in this week’s polling.

The Crusaders, who enter play this week at 3-0-1, are in some prestigious company in this week’s regional poll, as Valpo is joined by Akron, Louisville, Ohio State, Butler, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Indiana and Northwestern.  Valpo’s only previous appearance in the NSCAA Great Lakes regional polling came during the 2006 season, when it was ranked for a two-week stretch and reached as high as the #6 spot.

Valpo has already claimed two in-season tournament titles en route to the longest unbeaten stretch to start a year in program history, winning the hardware at the UNLV Invitational and the Marquette Invitational.  The Crusaders will put their unbeaten streak on the line this weekend with two more non-league contests, traveling to Indianapolis to take on IUPUI Friday afternoon before making their regular season home debut under the lights at Brown Field at 7 p.m. on Sunday against Bowling Green.