ORLANDO – Boasting wins in each of its last three matches, the UCF men’s soccer team has once again held steady with a No. 2 national ranking in the latest United Soccer Coaches top 25 rankings released Tuesday afternoon.
The latest release marks the third consecutive week the Knights (7-1-2, 3-1-1 SBC) have held down the No. 2 spot in the nation, the sixth straight week UCF has received a top five national ranking, and the eighth consecutive week the team has garnered a top 15 slot by the organization.
The Marshall Thundering Herd, the lone team to put a blemish on the Knights’ 2023 record thus far, also retained its top spot for the fourth straight week, and the West Virginia Mountaineers jumped two spots to No. 5 after the team was ranked No. 7 a week ago.
The Florida International Panthers, ranked No. 23 in last week’s release, also made a significant jump to No. 14 in the latest poll, and the Clemson Tigers, slotted in at No. 21 last week, were boosted up to No. 15 in the nation to round out the Knights’ 2023 opponents represented in Tuesday’s rankings.
UCF also remained No. 2 in the country in Top Drawer Soccer’s latest rankings released Monday, and College Soccer News slotted the Knights at No. 4 this week after pegging UCF at No. 5 a week ago.
COMPLETE UNITED SOCCER COACHES WEEK 8 POLL
| RANK | SCHOOL | PREVIOUS | FIRST-PLACE VOTES | TOTAL POINTS | W-L-T |
| 1 | Marshall * | 1 | 8 | 200 | 12-0-0 |
| 2 | UCF | 2 | 0 | 192 | 7-1-2 |
| 3 | Wake Forest | 4 | 0 | 184 | 10-1-3 |
| 4 | SMU | 6 | 0 | 175 | 9-1-2 |
| 5 | West Virginia * | 7 | 0 | 167 | 9-0-4 |
| 6 | Notre Dame | 8 | 0 | 162 | 9-1-3 |
| 7 | Akron | 3 | 0 | 151 | 9-0-5 |
| 8 | Georgetown | 5 | 0 | 143 | 8-2-1 |
| 9 | Duke | 15 | 0 | 138 | 8-3-1 |
| 10 | Missouri State | 16 | 0 | 124 | 7-1-3 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 14 | 0 | 121 | 6-2-4 |
| 12 | Portland | 17 | 0 | 112 | 8-3-0 |
| 13 | Seattle U | 20 | 0 | 96 | 9-2-3 |
| 14 | Florida International * | 23 | 0 | 91 | 7-2-3 |
| 15 | Clemson * | 21 | 0 | 88 | 8-3-2 |
| 16 | Vermont | 22 | 0 | 86 | 9-2-2 |
| 17 | Stanford | 9 | 0 | 66 | 6-2-3 |
| 18 | Virginia | NR | 0 | 62 | 7-3-3 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 24 | 0 | 55 | 7-1-4 |
| 20 | Michigan State | 19 | 0 | 42 | 6-0-6 |
| 21 | Northwestern | 12 | 0 | 34 | 9-1-3 |
| 22 | Syracuse | 10 | 0 | 28 | 6-3-4 |
| 23 | Pittsburgh | 11 | 0 | 26 | 5-4-3 |
| 24 | Bryant | NR | 0 | 19 | 11-1-2 |
| 25 | Oral Roberts | RV | 0 | 13 | 7-2-2 |
RECEIVING VOTES: Hofstra (7), Cal State Fullerton (6), Oregon State (4), Saint Louis (4), Loyola Marymount (2), Davidson College (2).
* Denotes 2023 UCF opponent.
Following the team's 2-1 win at Old Dominion Saturday night, the No. 2 Knights look ahead to Wednesday evening's home matchup against Coastal Carolina, during which UCF will don its Canaveral blue Citronaut kits in honor of the team's second and final space game this season. Kickoff from the UCF Soccer Complex is slated for 7 p.m.
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