University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Ranked Fifth In Preseason Poll
8/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
STORRS, Conn. (August 22) – The Connecticut men’s soccer team is ranked fifth in the country in Soccer America’s Preseason Poll, released Monday by the magazine. The defending BIG EAST Tournament champion Huskies return nine starters to the team that has gone 1-1 in the 2005 preseason.
Two-time defending national champion Indiana tops the list, followed by UCLA, 2004 national semifinalist Duke and three-time national semifinalist Maryland. BIG EAST rivals St. John’s (10th), Notre Dame (19th) and Seton Hall (25th) also cracked the preseason list.
In addition to the three conference opponents, the Huskies will face UNC Greensboro in 2005. The Spartans come in at No. 6 after going 19-3-1 en route to the third round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
UConn wraps up preseason competition Saturday night against third-ranked Duke at 7:00 p.m. in Joseph J. Morrone Stadium. The regular season gets underway Labor Day weekend with the UConn/adidas Soccer Classic, as the Huskies host St. Peter’s Friday, Sept. 2, and Hartwick on Sunday, Sept. 4. Both games will be played under the lights at 7:00 p.m. in Morrone Stadium.
2005 Soccer America Preseason Rankings
Rank Team 2004 Record
1. Indiana 19-4-1
2. UCLA 14-4-2
3. Duke 18-6-0
4. Maryland 17-6-2
5. CONNECTICUT 12-8-3
6. UNC Greensboro 19-3-1
7. New Mexico 17-1-2
8. SMU 16-4-1
9. UC Santa Barbara 21-2-2
10. St. John's 12-6-4
11. North Carolina 10-9-2
12. VCU 12-6-3
13. Santa Clara 15-6-0
14. Creighton 14-4-2
15. San Francisco 14-5-1
16. Virginia 18-5-1
17. Northwestern 15-6-2
18. Wake Forest 14-5-2
19. Notre Dame 13-3-3
20. Tulsa 12-7-4
21. Boston College 13-5-2
22. Cal State Northridge 11-6-2
23. California 13-4-3
24. Loyola Marymount 11-8-3
25. Seton Hall 12-7-3
