CULVER CITY, Calif. – Following a scoreless draw with No. 3 Georgetown on Friday night, the FGCU men’s soccer team moved into the top 20 in the country on Monday as Top Drawer Soccer ranked the Eagles at No. 19 in its second poll of the season.

The Eagles (0-0-1) battled the Hoyas, who dropped just one spot to No. 4 in the poll, as they earned their best result in program history against a top-3 opponent. The tie for FGCU comes after Georgetown defeated then-No. 15 Syracuse, 3-0, and then-No. 1 and reigning national champion Virginia, 4-0, earlier this month in its exhibition schedule. Virginia is ranked No. 1 in the nation again this week by Top Drawer Soccer.

This is the highest FGCU has been ranked during the regular season in any national poll since 2010 when it also checked in at No. 19 in the Soccer America poll on Nov. 2 and Nov. 9. The following year in 2011, the Green and Blue was ranked No. 14 in the country by Goal.com in its preseason poll. After opening last year unbeaten through its first three games, FGCU was ranked No. 24 in the Soccer America and NSCAA/Continental Tire national polls.

FGCU was one of only four teams in the country which was receiving votes in the Top Drawer Soccer preseason poll last week, checking in at No. 29 in the nation.

“It’s certainly nice for the guys to be recognized and is great for our program and the Atlantic Sun Conference. We’re definitely excited for the challenging season ahead, especially our next game at home against UCF on Wednesday night,” said FGCU head coach Bob Butehorn, whose teams have now been ranked on 14 separate occasions since 2010. “This recognition is also a tribute to our fans – in particular the Dirty Birds – who were fantastic on Friday and helped give us an extra edge. We’ll need them again on Wednesday.”

Fans filled the FGCU Soccer Complex on Friday to the tune of the third-largest crowd in program history as 1,509 spectators watched the highest-ranked opponent to ever play on the Eagles’ home turf. In what was an evenly-played game throughout, each team finished the contest with 10 shots. Three of those Georgetown shots found their way on net, but FGCU keeper Nathan Ingham (Keswick, Ontario/Keswick HS) was equal to the task each time as the redshirt senior earned yet another clean sheet, setting the program record with his 20th career shutout.

Top Drawer Soccer is one of the most reputable and recognized soccer media outlets in the country, and the Eagles are the lone A-Sun representative in this week’s poll. Additional polls are released on Tuesday, including the officially NCAA-recognized NSCAA/Continental Tire and Soccer America rankings. In one other national media poll, FGCU is receiving votes this week in College Soccer News.

FGCU will remain at home and welcome in-state foe UCF to The Nest on Wednesday, Sept. 2, for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The game will be a Whiteout, with all fans encouraged to wear white. The Knights – who have made seven NCAA Tournament appearances – opened their season with a 5-0 win over FAU at home on Friday evening.

Following the match with UCF, FGCU hits the road for the first time this year as it travels to Winston-Salem, N.C., to face Wake Forest on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. Wake Forest is 2-0 on the year and ranked No. 25 by Top Drawer Soccer in this week’s poll.

FGCU RANKING HISTORY
10/5/2010: No. 25 Soccer America
10/12/2010: No. 24 Soccer America
10/14/2010: No. 24 Top Drawer Soccer
10/19/2010: No. 21 Soccer America
10/26/2010: No. 23 Soccer America
11/2/2010: No. 19 Soccer America
11/9/2010: No. 19 Soccer America
11/16/2010: No. 20 Soccer America (Final Poll)
8/2/2011: No. 14 Goal.com (Preseason Poll)
8/30/2011: No. 22 Goal.com
9/27/2011: No. 25 Goal.com
9/9/2014: No. 24 NSCAA/Continental Tire and Soccer America
8/31/2015: No. 19 Top Drawer Soccer

TOP DRAWER SOCCER TOP-25 POLL
1) Virginia
2) UCLA
3) Creighton
4) Georgetown
5) North Carolina
6) Notre Dame
7) Maryland
8) Michigan State
9) Louisville
10) UC Irvine
11) Clemson
12) Penn State
13) UC Santa Barbara
14) Stanford
15) Xavier
16) Kentucky
17) Indiana
18) San Diego
19) FGCU
20) Charlotte
21) Saint Louis
22) Washington
23) Coastal Carolina
24) Providence
25) Wake Forest
Receiving Votes: UAB, Akron, New Mexico, Syracuse, Seattle

TICKET INFORMATION
Season- and single-game tickets are available for the 2015 campaign, with season tickets starting at just $35. More information, including special discounts and group rates, can be accessed by logging on to FGCUAthletics.com/tickets or by clicking here. To purchase tickets, or for additional inquiries, call the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU men’s soccer program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_MSoccer, Instagram @FGCU_MSoccer and Facebook /FGCUMSoccer.

COACH BUTEHORN
FGCU is led by Bob Butehorn, who has coached 45 A-Sun All-Conference selections since FGCU started its program in 2007. In just four years of postseason eligibility, Butehorn has guided FGCU to three A-Sun Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances – in 2011, 2012 and 2014 – and has won an unprecedented five-straight A-Sun regular-season championships. His teams have been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets. Now in his 13th season as a head coach, Butehorn has a 108-87-23 overall record, 74-55-19 mark in his 9th season at FGCU and 44-17-5 record in A-Sun contests.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics’ charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.

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