Oct. 13, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Bethel (Tenn.) and Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) share the No. 1 ranking, a first in 2009, in the sixth regular season 2009 NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll, announced today by the NAIA. A team that has been sitting on top of the polls all season, Bethel (Tenn.) shares the No. 1 spot with Lindsey Wilson (Ky.). Both teams are very similar in the eyes of the national raters as Bethel went 1-0-2 last week against unranked opposition while Lindsey Wilson tied then-No. 25 Cumberlands (Ky.) and defeated Embry-Riddle (Ariz.). The Wildcats earned nine first-place votes and is 8-0-3 this year. Lindsey Wilson captured eight first-place nods and is 7-1-1.

Bethel is holding a 25-match unbeaten streak, which is the fourth longest in NAIA history. Bethel looks up at Lindsey Wilson, who went 31 straight matches without a loss. The Wildcats have compiled 17 shutouts and maintained a 74-10 scoring advantage during this streak.

The No. 1 position is a familiar one for Lindsey Wilson with the program boasting the second-most No. 1 rankings since 2000 (29). It is the first No. 1 for the Blue Raiders since Nov. 16, 2008. Of their nine matches this year, four of them have been against the Top 25 in which Lindsey Wilson is 2-1-1.

With two first-place votes, No. 3 Notre Dame (Ohio) holds a six-match unbeaten streak. The Falcons, who are 9-1-1 on the year, have now been in the top 10 for the last 11 polls.

Falling two spots but still picking up two first-place votes is No. 4 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) with 551 total votes. A 1-0 loss to unranked Biola (Calif.) on Oct. 10 snapped an 11-match winning streak. The Cougars get a chance to tally a key win with a date against No. 23 The Master's (Calif.) on Wednesday.

Finding itself in the top five for the first time this year, No. 5 Simon Fraser (B.C.) has been a team rising each week in the polls. Starting off at No. 15, The Clan now hold an 11-2-0 mark, including seven straight wins. During that stretch, The Clan have outscored their opposition 26-5.

No. 25 Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) is in the Top 25 this week for the first time since the Preseason Top 25 when it was No. 14. Hannibal-LaGrange is recognized thanks in large part to a 3-1 road win at then-No. 11 Park (Mo.). Snapping a long drought, No. 20 Biola (Calif.) leaped into the Top 25 for the first time since Oct. 18, 2006 (No. 17) - a stretch of 30 polls.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The seventh regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on Oct. 20.

For more information on NAIA men's soccer, please click here.

NOTES: The top 10 teams sport an impressive 95-9-9 (.881) combined record this season including a 16-3-1 (.825) mark in the past week... There are five current teams that are unbeaten this season... The team that holds the longest unbeaten streak in NAIA history is Rio Grande (Ohio), who maintained a 66-match unbeaten streak from the 2002 through 2004 season... On its current 25-match unbeaten streak, No. 1 Bethel (Tenn.) has not lost since Oct. 4, 2008 to Berry (Ga.)... The only team to drop out of the Top 25 from last week was Park (Mo.) (No. 11) who went 0-2 including a 3-1 loss to Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.)... Being ranked No. 1 in the first seven polls of the season, Bethel (Tenn.) is the first team to be the top team for at least the first seven polls since Rio Grande was No. 1 for the entire 2004 season... Bethel (Tenn.) has been ranked No. 1 in all seven polls this year - prior to that, the Wildcats' highest spot (since 2000) was No. 16 back on Aug. 24, 2005... Since 2000, there have been 14 different teams to claim the No. 1 spot - Rio Grande (Ohio) leads the pack with 31 mentions as the top-ranked team... The last time Rio Grande was No. 1 was on Oct. 14, 2008, an absence of 12 polls... Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) is second on the list for No. 1 rankings since 2000, having been mentioned 29 times followed by Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) (9), Bethel (Tenn.) (7), Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (5) and Concordia (Calif.) (5)... Since 2000, the only team to run through the entire season ranked No. 1 was Rio Grande during the 2004 season - overall the Red Storm were No. 1 in 18 straight polls... Auburn Montgomery holds the longest active streak of being ranked in the Top 25 with 95 consecutive polls dating back to the first regular season poll on Sept. 12, 2000... After Auburn Montgomery, Concordia (Calif.) is next with 33 straight polls followed by Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), Oklahoma City and Simon Fraser (B.C.) all being ranked in the last 28 straight polls... Since 2000, of the 122 NAIA schools to be ranked in the Top 25, 21 schools no longer sponsor NAIA men's soccer.

2009 NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll - (Oct. 13 - #6)

RANK	LAST WEEK	SCHOOL (1st PLACE VOTES)	2009 RECORD*	TOTAL POINTS
T1	1	Bethel University (Tenn.) (9)	8-0-3	569
T1	3	Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) (8)	7-1-1	569
3	4	Notre Dame College (Ohio) (2)	9-1-1	554
4	2	Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) (2)	11-1-0	551
5	6	Simon Fraser University (B.C.)	11-2-0	518
6	7	University of Maine at Fort Kent	10-0-1	487
7	8	University of Rio Grande (Ohio)	9-2-0	482
8	10	Southern Polytechnic State University (Ga.)	8-0-1	455
9	24	Columbia College (Mo.)	10-2-1	419
10	12	Bethel College (Ind.)	12-0-1	415
11	20	Benedictine College (Kan.)	11-1-0	385
12	14	Oklahoma City University	10-1-1	375
13	5	McKendree University (Ill.)	9-1-1	372
14	9	Baker University (Kan.)	8-1-3	328
15	15	Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.)	7-2-2	325
16	13	Concordia University (Calif.)	7-4-0	317
17	17	University of Texas at Brownsville	9-0-1	295
18	16	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.)	8-3-2	281
19	18	William Carey University (Miss.)	7-2-3	243
20	RV	Biola University (Calif.)	9-1-0	224
21	21	Hastings College (Neb.)	9-2-2	205
22	25	University of the Cumberlands (Ky.)	8-3-1	192
23	22	The Master's College (Calif.)	10-1-1	170
24	19	Belhaven College (Miss.)	6-3-2	145
25	NR	Hannibal-LaGrange College (Mo.)	7-3-1	95

Others receiving votes:

Univ of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (Okla.) 81; Mid-Continent University (Ky.) 81; Park University (Mo.) 57; Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) 39; Ashford University (Iowa) 33; McPherson College (Kan.) 31; Bellevue University (Neb.) 27; Cedarville University (Ohio) 20; Shorter College (Ga.) 12; Martin Methodist College (Tenn.) 12; Cardinal Stritch University (Wis.) 10; Missouri Valley College 10; Concordia University (Ore.) 9; Houghton College (N.Y.) 8; Westmont College (Calif.) 5; Northwood University (Fla.) 4; Cornerstone University (Mich.) 1; Milligan College (Tenn.) 1; Kansas Wesleyan University 1; Aquinas College (Mich.) 1; California State University-San Marcos 1

* Records submitted by the raters and through games played Sunday, Oct. 11