WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University women's soccer team, the 2013 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular season and tournament champions, moved up to fifth place in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Northeast Region, the organization announced on Tuesday afternoon. Monmouth, which entered the regional ranking on September 10, has been in the regional poll for a record nine consecutive weeks.
The Hawks, on a 14-game unbeaten streak, claimed the MAAC Women's Soccer Championship trophy on Monday, which improved Monmouth's overall record to 17-1-2. The Hawks, who have not allowed a goal in the last 763:58 minutes of game action, set a new program-record with 16 shutouts, including eight straight clean sheets, and tied a school-record with 17 victories so far.
The Hawks, who rank first in the NCAA in shutout percentage (0.789) and third in goals-against-average (0.309), earned the MAAC regular season championship with an 8-0-2 mark in league play, and hold the nation's third-best win-loss-tie percentage (0.895). [NCAA stats are through Sunday's games 11/3]
Monmouth head coach Krissy Turner said, "Our results have allowed us to move up one spot in the rankings. This team has accomplished so much it is tremendous. We are excited to be preparing for an NCAA Tournament game and look forward to the opponent we are paired up against.”
Also represented on the region's top-10 list are Marquette (16-3-0), Georgetown (15-1-2), Louisville (12-5-1) and Rutgers (13-4-2) in the top-four.
Monmouth, which is ranked 60th in the latest RPI, has outscored its opposition 39-6 over its 20 games and has registered a 0.29 goals against average during that span. In the latest NCAA rankings, goalkeeper Ashley Lewis (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Boro), the MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year and MAAC Tournament MVP, ranks fourth nationally in goals-against-average (0.35), while the Blue & White stand seventh in save percentage (.887).
Monmouth is still one of only two teams with a single loss on its record in the Northeast Region poll.
Rounding out the top-10 in this week's poll are St. John's (10-4-3), DePaul (11-4-2), South Florida (10-4-5), Connecticut (11-9-0) and UMBC (12-4-2).
The Hawks, who were last ranked in the region in October 2011 prior to this season, opened the year with five straight victories for the second time in program history. With 17 overall victories so far in 2013, the Hawks tied the program-mark for wins set in 1994 and matched in both 1995 and 1996. Monmouth has posted a double-digit victory total for the eighth straight season.
Monmouth, which earned the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, will find out its regional opponent on Monday, November 11.
@MUWSoccer -- #FlyHawks
