Oct. 20, 2009
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The NCAA officially released its updated Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) report and the UCF women's soccer team climbed from No. 5 in the country to No. 4. The Knights trail only Stanford, North Carolina and Portland, while Florida State rounds out the top five.
UCF, which stands at 12-3-1 overall in 2009, has collected a 7-3-1 record against teams in the top 80, including a victory over No. 5 Florida State and a tie against No. 21 LSU. Meanwhile, the Black and Gold is a perfect 9-0-0 vs. programs ranked above No. 50.
The Knights hold a 7-1-0 record in Conference USA to stand all alone in first place in the league standings. C-USA has a total of five teams in the top 52 of the RPI: No. 4 UCF, No. 35 Colorado College, No. 46 Memphis, No. 51 UAB, No. 52 UTEP.
The RPI is the most important of the criteria the NCAA uses to determine the 64-team field for the NCAA Division I Women's Tournament. The RPI is a mathematical formula designed to objectively compare results and strength of schedule.
In the three national top-25 polls, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) rankings gave the Knights the No. 11 spot, up from No. 12 a week ago. Meanwhile, Soccer America (No. 14) and Soccer Times (No. 16) also placed UCF in the top 16.
UCF's highest ranking in program history was No. 2 when it was the national runner-up in 1982.
UCF has just three regular-season matches left before the C-USA Championships Nov. 4-8 in Dallas, Texas. The Knights finish up the slate at SMU Friday and at Tulsa Sunday before coming home for Senior Night Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. vs. Southern Miss. Admission will be free.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
The NCAA RPI Report1. Stanford2. North Carolina*3. Portland4. UCF5. Florida State*6. UCLA7. Wake Forest8. Boston College9. Georgia10. Notre Dame12. South Carolina*21. LSU*35. Colorado College*45. Duke*46. Memphis*51. UAB*52. UTEP*60. USF*79. Florida International*102. Marshall*105. East Carolina*123. SMU*132. Florida Gulf Coast*158. Rice*164. Tulsa*175. Houston*237. Southern Miss** - UCF Opponent