Truett McConnell Inches Closer to NAIA Top 10; TWU Receives Votes

1. Keiser (Fla.)

Record: 11-1-0

Notes: The Seahawks remain in the top spot with 16 of 18 first-place votes. KU has strung together seven wins since mid-September. The Seahawks' offensive front is led by senior forward Lauren Riley with nine goals and seven assists, but she isn't the only one who can create scoring opportunities or find the back of the net in general; Maria Vilhena and Blanca Bachi have also been part of the success for KU as both have tallied eight goals on the season.

Up Next: Keiser will look to defend the beach and their No. 1 rank this afternoon against Southeastern (Fla.).

2. William Carey (Miss.)

Record: 12-1-0

Notes: William Carey has been their formidable self, a true all-around scoring threat, ranking first nationally in goals scored with 92. They have also been sharing the ball, ranking first in assists at 87; nearly a 1:1 ratio of assists to goals scored. Karen Vilau leads the Crusaders scoring with 16, while Lesley Vasquez is finding her teammates and racking up the assists for 11 on the season.

Up Next: WCU will look to spoil the perfect regular season tomorrow evening when Life (Ga.) arrives in town in a Southern States Athletic Conference duel between the top two teams in the SSAC women's soccer standings.

3. Marian (Ind.)

Record: 12-0-1

Notes: The Knights have yet to suffer a loss this season. Marian's offense is led by a pair of veterans - senior midfielder Katie Koger and junior forward Olivia Parmer. Koger and Parmer have combined for 45 points, including 17 goals and 11 assists.

Up Next: MU will hit the road tonight for a Crossroads League match against Bethel (Ind.) before returning home on Saturday, the 18th, when Spring Arbor (Mich.) comes to Indy. 

4. College of Idaho

Record: 10-1-0

Notes: The Yotes continue to play solid soccer as Cascade Conference play is well underway in the northwest. The College of Idaho has been pushing the envelope in the offensive third of the field, averaging 25.1 shots per game, which ranks third nationally. Abbi Roubidoux and Gianni Yslava lead the Yotes in points with 26 and 22, respectively.

Up Next: The College of Idaho also has a big weekend of matches, which could shape the Cascade Conference tournament in early November. The first match will be against Southern Oregon in a battle against the top two teams in the CCC standings.

5. Missouri Valley

Record: 9-0-3

Notes: The Vikings are a well-rounded squad this year. MVC is led by four seniors, including a midfielder, two forwards, and a defender, who have been able to create opportunities and find the back of the net, with Judit Ferre, Marlene Flores, Ashley Arribas, and Marta Carrasco Mesa. The goalkeeper duties have been split thus far between Lola Martinez Benitez and Marina Barbara Bujulance. Both keepers have started six matches, with Barbara Bujalance getting the edge in total games played 7-6.

Up Next: The Vikings will have a pivotal match of their own this evening when MidAmerica Nazarene travels to Marshall, Mo. In a tough conference like the Heart, this battle could shake up the conference standings, as these teams are second and third in conference standings.

6. Indiana Wesleyan

Record: 10-1-1

Notes: The Wildcats have been led by two freshmen forwards in Avery Williams and Carlie Grosser. The two freshmen have combined for 27 points and 13 goals. Avery Sluss has been a staple between the sticks for IWU, starting all 12 games and only allowing five goals with a .872 save percentage.

Up Next: IWU will hit the road for three matches, heading to Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) tonight and then to Saint Francis (Ind.) on Saturday.

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan

Record: 11-1-1

Notes: The Eagles have posted 10 shutout wins this season and rank seventh nationally in shot percentage at .229. Laura Gieseler leads the Eagles in points with 29, but she's not the only one with double-digit points thus far, as Kylie Reif, Isabelle Simoneau, Frederiekke Nielsen, Ana Chavez, and Linn Joelsson all do as well.

Up Next: OKWU will welcome Saint Mary (Kan.) to campus this evening before a battle between the top two KCAC teams go head-to-head on Saturday, the 18th.

8. Embry-Riddle (Ariz.)

Record: 10-0-2

Notes: ERAU has allowed just two goals so far in the month of October, but they have scored 13. Ranking fourth nationally in total shots with 301, the Eagles offense is fueled by Jamie Brandon and Jamie Black. The duo of Jamie's have both scored 10 goals with three assists this season.

Up Next: ERAU will have a two-game home stand before taking to the road again next week.

9. Cumberlands (Ky.)

Record: 8-3-3

Notes: The Patriots slid five spots this week after two not-so-great results, with one at home and the other on the road. Morgan White has led the goalkeeper duties for UC this season, starting in 14 games with 61 saves.

Up Next: Cumberlands (Ky.) will take to the field this evening and look to get back on track when Campbellsville (Ky.) comes to town. The Patriots will then host Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) on the 20th before their last road trip of the regular season.

10. John Brown (Ark.)

Record: 7-2-3

Notes: The Golden Eagles are on a four-game winning streak, which started after the 1-1 draw to Science and Arts (Okla.) on September 27th. Since then, JBU has shut out opponents and scored 21 goals over those matches. Five different players are at double-digit points, led by Julia Lambert, who has 23.

Up Next: JBU has a nice three-game home stand coming up, hosting Oklahoma Panhandle State on the 18th and Southwestern Christian (Kan.) on the 21st. and Mid-America Christian (Okla.) on the 25th.