Aug. 9, 2011
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By Jordean Matthews
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFathletics.com) - After cracking the national rankings for the first time in program history last season, the men's soccer team opens the 2011 campaign ranked 26th after receiving votes in the first National Soccer Coaches Association of America's (NSCAA) poll of the year.
"What we did last season was great, but it's in the past now and we are looking forward to this year," head coach Bryan Cunningham said. "I'm happy that we are viewed this highly on the national level by my peers, but our focus is on getting out there, winning games and earning this recognition."
The Knights ended last season 12-5-3 behind the efforts of players like junior Nik Robson (Auckland, New Zealand) and seniors Kevan George (Decatur, Ga.) and Warren Creavalle (Acworth, Ga.). The trio earned spots on the 2010 C-USA All-Conference First Team and the NSCAA South All-Region teams.
Robson finished the 2010 season with 11 goals, nine assists and a team- and league-high 31 points and George had four assists and was a key leader for the Knights as a team captain in his junior season. Creavalle finished with four assists and four goals and was one of the top all-around players in the nation, earning him a spot on the NSCAA All-American Third Team.
The Knights wrapped up their season with a 2-1 overtime loss at eventual College Cup semifinalist Michigan in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Black and Gold defeated in-state rival USF, 3-0, in the first round to earn its first trip to the second round in seven years, helping to elevate the program onto the national scene.
UCF ended last season ranked 33rd in the RPI, a huge improvement from its 159th ranking back to end 2009.
Louisville earned the No. 1 spot in the national preseason poll, while defending champion Akron is No. 2 after a large roster turnover following their title last December. Conference USA foe SMU is ranked No. 5 in the poll, a spot UCF fans might remember as the Mustangs were ranked fifth in the nation last year when the Knights knocked them off, 2-1, on Oct. 2 at home.
This is the third poll in the last week that has had UCF ranked in the top 30 as Goal.com had the Knights at No. 22, while CollegeSoccerNews.com ranked them No. 28.