For the first time in program history, the Millersville men's soccer team sits atop a national poll. The Marauders moved up to No. 1 in the latest NSCAA/adidas Division II National Poll —released on Tuesday afternoon— after previously unbeaten and No. 1 Lees-McRae (N.C.) fell on Saturday evening.
Millersville finished off its regular season on Saturday with a 3-2 road victory at Shippensburg. The win improved the team's overall record to 16-1 this season and finished off the Black and Gold's second consecutive undefeated Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division slate.
The No. 1 ranking continues the resurgence of the program, which has been taken to unprecedented heights under third-year head coach Steve Widdowson. Widdowson has taken a program that won just three games in 2006 and turned it into a national contender. "We're tremendously proud of this accomplishment and the opportunity to represent Millersville in a positive manner," said Widdowson. "This wasn't one of our initial goals, but there's been a lot of hard work put in to get to this point and it's a nice moment for the program."
While the leap to No. 1 marks a historic day for the program and Millersville University, the team has its sights set on capturing a PSAC Championship for the first time in the program's 50-season history. "There is added pressure that comes along with the No. 1 ranking, but I don't think our team is distracted by that," stated Widdowson. "As a program, we've never won a conference championship and it's the one thing that is glaringly missing from the successes of the last three seasons." The Marauders must first get past the Eastern Division's second-seed, Bloomsburg, on Wednesday evening in a semifinal contest to have a chance at the title.
Following the Marauders in the latest poll are Fort Lewis (Colo.) and Drury (Mo.). West Texas A&M and Rollins (Fla.) rounded out the top five. Each of the top six teams moved up one spot, while Lees-McRae fell from No. 1 to No. 7.
It's been almost 30 years since a PSAC school has been ranked No. 1. Lock Haven was the last conference school to earn that distinction when they won the 1980 NCAA Division II National Championship and finished the season as the nation's top-ranked team.
Millersville is led by a rock solid defense and plenty of offensive depth. Junior Kyle Loughlin has paced the Marauder offense with team-highs of 11 goals, five assists, and 27 points. The Marauder backline of Thomas Bargmann, Jeremy Yoder, John Claffey, and Adam Keller has allowed just 11 goals in 17 games and is responsible for helping the team set a single-season record for shutouts with 12. Goalkeeper Matt Langione has also been a major part of the team's defensive success. Langione leads PSAC in shutouts (10) and goals against average (0.67). He is also the school's career leader in wins with 43.
Beyond the jump to No. 1 in the national poll, Millersville remained No. 1 in the Atlantic Region. Slippery Rock, from the PSAC Western Division, is ranked second in the region, while Charleston (W.Va.) from the WVIAC holds the number three spot.
Millersville begins the post-season tomorrow evening when it hosts the Bloomsburg Huskies in a PSAC Semifinal game at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium.
Information provided by Millersville University was used in this report.
