Jack Stewart and the Irish have been ranked ninth in the NSCAA/adidas Preseason Top 25.

Men's Soccer Debuts At #9 In NSCAA/adidas Preseason Poll

Aug. 24, 2004

The University of Notre Dame men’s soccer team has debuted a #9 in the first major national poll release of the 2004 season. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), in conjuncture with adidas, has released the 2004 Preseason Poll, placing Notre Dame ninth (the Irish finished the ’03 season ranked eighth). Notre Dame began the 2003 season ranked 12th and the ninth-place ranking this season is a preseason program best. The Irish peaked at #3 last season (finishing the year #3 in the Soccer America top 25) and finished the year with a 16-3-4 record while advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16. The Soccer America ranking is expected to be released some time next week. Notre Dame will face five ranked teams and one receiving votes this season according to the NSCAA ranking, including #1 Indiana (Sept. 15 in Bloomington) and #2 St. John’s (Oct. 16 in Jamaica, N.Y.). In fact, Notre Dame’s late season swing through the BIG EAST will take the team to St. John’s, Seton Hall (also receiving votes) and to #12 Rutgers before finishing off the BIG EAST schedule at home against #10 Connecticut. The BIG EAST Conference is represented by four teams in the top 25. 2004 NSCAA Top 25 Preseason Poll 1. Indiana 2. ST. JOHN’S 3. Maryland 4. St. Louis 5. Santa Clara 6. North Carolina 7. UCLA 8. Wake Forest 9. NOTRE DAME 10. CONNECTICUT 11. SMU 12. RUTGERS 13. VCU 14. Florida International 15. UC- Santa Barbara 16. Michigan 17. Fairleigh Dickinson 18. Old Dominion 19. Tulsa 20. Virginia 21. Brown 22. Binghamton 23. Coastal Carolina 24. Creighton 25. Alabama-Birmingham Also receiving votes: SETON HALL, Virginia Tech, Washington