Wheaton soccer teams post highest simultaneous national rankings

September 8, 2004

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College men's and women's soccer teams reached their highest simultaneous national rankings in program history, with the women placed second in the country and the men third. The men and women began the year ranked fourth and fifth, respectively in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) preseason poll.

The women's team opened the season with a narrow 1-0 win over Western Connecticut State University on September 2 and two days later broke out of their offensive funk by dropping seven goals on Husson College. With their 2-0 victory over Endicott College on September 7, the Lyons currently sit at 3-0 overall. Senior All-America Erin Brennan (Mesa, AZ/Xavier Prep) leads the team with five points, while goalkeepers Stacey Kronenberg (Belchertown, MA/Belchertown) and Emily Lipsky (Whitestone, NY/Sacred Heart Academy) have combined to record three shutouts.

With four straight New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament titles, four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths and a regional number-one ranking since September 16, 2002, Wheaton's placement among the nation's elite is not surprising. The Lyons will have a tough test ahead of them this weekend as they head to Delaware, Ohio for the Ohio Wesleyan University Tournament. The women play 25th-ranked Denison University on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. before facing the aforementioned Bishops on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. OWU is ranked third nationally and has won two of the last three national titles.

Unlike the women, the Wheaton men have yet to play at home this season but nonetheless are enjoying similar success. The Lyons ousted Salve Regina in their season opener 2-0 before heading to North Adams for the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) Tournament. The Blue and White defeated Western New England College, 2-1 on September 4 and edged UMass-Dartmouth, 1-0 in double overtime on September 5 to capture the tournament crown. After a two-day hiatus the Lyons once again took to the road en route to a 4-1 victory over Bridgewater State College, improving their overall mark to a perfect 4-0.

The men's team has won two of the last three regional championships and has qualified for the NCAA Tournament four times since 1997, leading Wheaton to believe yet another highly successful season is in the making. Sophomore Cameron Habib (Norfolk, MA/Bridgton Academy) paces the team with six points, while senior Andrew Hench's (Marblehead, MA/Marblehead) two goals at Bridgewater places him in second with four points. The men will take on regionally-ranked Keene State College in New Hampshire this Saturday before returning home for their opener versus Worcester State College on September 14.

Last updated on 9/10/04.
Send questions about this page to Scott Dietz or contact Wheaton College.

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