Sept. 22, 2004

ROMEOVILLE - The Lewis University men's soccer team inched one step closer to the top in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division II national poll.

The Flyers (7-0-1), who tied Bellarmine 1-1 and defeated Kentucky Wesleyan 3-1 last weekend, landed at No. 2 behind Incarnate Word (Texas). The ranking, the Flyers' highest since a No. 1 ranking prior to the 2001 NCAA Championship tournament, is an improvement of one place over last week's No. 3 rating.

Lewis retained its No. 1 ranking in the Great Lakes Region and is followed by Mercyhurst (Pa.), Northern Kentucky, Wisconsin-Parkside, Southern Illinois Edwardsville, Truman State (Mo.), Quincy (Ill.), Missouri-St. Louis, Northwood (Mich.) and Saginaw Valley State (Mich.).

The rest of the national top 10 consists of Carson-Newman (Tenn.), North Carolina-Pembroke, Seattle, Dowling (N.Y.), Montevallo (Ala.), Southern Connecticut State, Mercyhurst and Tusculum (Tenn.).

Fort Lewis (Colo.) heads the second 10, followed by California- San Diego, Clayton State (Ga.), Slippery Rock (Pa.), Barry (Fla.), LeMoyne (N.Y.), Northern Kentucky, Seattle Pacific, Merrimack (Mass.) and West Chester (Pa.).

Lynn (Fla.), Lander (S.C.), Catawba (N.C.), Colorado State-Pueblo, South Carolina-Upstate and Massachusetts-Lowell complete the rankings.

The Flyers host Great Lakes Valley Conference opponents Saint Joseph's on Friday and Indianapolis on Sunday. Both games begin at noon.