Aug. 9, 2011
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Season Preview Part 1: No. 6 Terps Looking To Improve Fan Base
COLLEGE PARK, MD. -
The University of Maryland women's soccer team earned its highest-ever preseason ranking, checking in at No. 6 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) preseason poll, which was released on Tuesday.
The Terps' previous highest preseason ranking was No. 7 in 1996 and 1997.
The ACC is well represented in the poll with six teams in the Top 25: North Carolina (No. 3), Boston College (4), Florida State (5), Maryland (6), Virginia (10) and Wake Forest (18). The preseason poll is the first of 14 rankings throughout the season by the NSCAA.
Maryland will also host two ranked teams in its 2011 non-conference schedule. The Terps open their regular season on Friday, Aug. 19 vs. No. 22 Minnesota at Ludwig Field at 7 p.m. The following Friday, Aug. 26, Maryland will host No. 2 Stanford at Ludwig Field at 7 p.m.
Before its regular-season opener, the Terps will play two exhibition matches against ranked opponents. The first exhibition is on Wednesday, Aug. 10, vs. No. 13 West Virginia at Ludwig Field at 6 p.m. Maryland then hosts No. 23 Georgetown in a rematch of the 2010 NCAA tournament second round game on Saturday, Aug. 13 at Ludwig Field at 7 p.m.
Maryland returns eight starters and 22 letterwinners from last season's squad that earned the program's first ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Coach Brian Pensky begins his seventh season in charge of the Terrapins and is looking to lead his team to three-straight NCAA tournament bids for the first time since 2002-04.
NCAA Rankings
Division I
Pre-SeasonPoll
-August 09, 2011
| Rank |
School |
Prev. |
W-L-T |
| 1 |
Notre Dame |
1 |
21-1-2 |
| 2 |
Stanford |
2 |
23-1-2 |
| 3 |
North Carolina |
6 |
19-3-2 |
| 4 |
Boston College |
4 |
17-7-1 |
| 5 |
Florida State |
7 |
16-6-1 |
| 6 |
Maryland |
10 |
18-2-3 |
| 7 |
Portland |
8 |
19-1-2 |
| 8 |
Ohio State |
4 |
17-5-2 |
| 9 |
Florida |
12 |
19-2-3 |
| 10 |
Virginia |
9 |
15-5-2 |
| 11 |
Texas A&M |
16 |
15-5-3 |
| 12 |
Marquette |
11 |
16-5-3 |
| 13 |
West Virginia |
13 |
18-5-1 |
| 14 |
Oklahoma State |
5 |
20-4-2 |
| 15 |
Santa Clara |
19 |
13-7-2 |
| 16 |
UCLA |
22 |
13-8-2 |
| 17 |
UC Irvine |
14 |
19-3-2 |
| 18 |
Wake Forest |
25 |
13-8-3 |
| 19 |
Oregon State |
17 |
16-4-1 |
| 20 |
Washington |
15 |
13-9-2 |
| 21 |
South Carolina |
24 |
15-6-4 |
| 22 |
Minnesota |
21 |
14-6-3 |
| 23 |
Georgetown |
18 |
15-7-2 |
| 24 |
Illinois |
RV |
13-4-1 |
| 25 |
USC |
RV |
13-6-3 |
| 2010 Final record and ranking shown |
| Also receiving votes: Penn State, Duke, North Carolina-Greensboro, Georgia, BYU, Memphis, San Diego, Texas, Hofstra, Denver |
