KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The United Soccer Coaches and D3soccer.com both announced their updated rankings on Tuesday and Washington and Lee earned the top spot in both polls for the first time in program history.
The Generals' No. 1 ranking not only marks a new all-time program high, but it is also the third consecutive week that the team reached a new all-time high ranking. W&L came in third in the first United Soccer Coaches poll on September 14 and was second in last week's rankings.
W&L is coming off its third straight 2-0 week, which was highlighted by a thrilling 2-1 win over then 15th-ranked Christopher Newport. The Generals capped the week with an 8-2 win over Guilford on Sunday in which they scored six goals in the second half.
Through the first eight games of this season, the Generals are 7-0-1 overall and have won seven in a row after a season-opening draw at Emory, who is ranked No. 18 in this week's United Soccer Coaches poll. W&L is led on offense by junior midfielders
Samuel Bass (Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park),
John Peterson (Towson, Md./Loyola Blakefield) and
Michael Kutsanzira (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe/Putnam Science Academy (Conn.)), as well as sophomore forward
Adrian Zimmerman (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic).
Bass currently leads the team in goals (5) and points (14), and he ranks second in assists (4) behind Kutsanzira's five helpers. Kutsanzira has a pair of goals for nine total points this season, while Peterson ranks second in goals (4) and points (10). Zimmerman has eight points on three goals and two assists, and he has recorded at least one point in three straight games.
Defensively, senior goalkeeper
Michael Nyc (Kildeer, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) has started all eight games this season and has a 0.52 goals-against average in 686:35 of game time. He is helped by a back line led by seniors
Jack Rawlins (Springfield, Va./Lake Braddock Secondary) and
Seth Chapman (Williamston, Mich./Fowlerville).
Click
here to view the full United Soccer Coaches rankings and
here for the full D3soccer.com poll.
The Generals get back in action on Friday when they host Lynchburg for the second time this season at 1:00 pm in ODAC action.
