WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University men's soccer team is ranked 14th in the latest NSCAA/adidas National Rankings, the organization announced on Tuesday. This marks the Hawks eighth-straight week in the NSCAA/adidas Top-25, a program best mark.
Monmouth has been a consistent presence in the NSCAA/adidas National Rankings since the third week of the season, debuting at #24 on September 11. From there, MU moved up to #19 the following week and then #14 during the end of September before landing at 10th for two weeks. The Blue and White were ranked #8 two weeks ago before moving up to seventh last week, which marked the highest national ranking for any program in Monmouth University history.
MU is currently 13-1-1 overall and 5-1-1 in the Northeast Conference. The Hawks' 13 wins is the second-best mark for a single-season in program history, trailing only the 2006 squad's 14 wins.
MU is also ranked second in the NSCAA/adidias North Atlantic Regional Rankings, behind Iona, who MU is eight spots higher than in the national rankings. The Hawks also come in this week ranked 10th by Soccer America, 12th by College Soccer News and 16th by Top Drawer Soccer.
At the heart of the Blue and White's success has been a stingy defense that ranks second in the nation in three statistical categories. MU ranks in the top-five in the country in team goals against average (0.33 GAA), shutout percentage (73%) and save percentage (88.6%). MU keeper Bryan Meredith (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) now ranks second in the nation in GAA, allowing 0.279 tallies per match and fourth in Division I in save percentage, stopping 89.7% of the opponent's shots.
MU's solid defense is nothing new; since 2004, when McCourt took over the program, the Hawks have 56 shutouts. Monmouth just completed a program-record eight straight shutouts, keeping the opposition scoreless for 789:41 of game action.
This week, the Hawks host two of the NEC's Connecticut schools in CCSU on Friday at 3:00 pm and Quinnipiac on Sunday at 1:00 pm.
