KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Fort Lewis College women’s soccer team (3-0-1 overall) climbed to No.3  in the second NCAA Division II poll of the season, released earlier today by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and Continental Tire.

The Skyhawks, ranked No. 6 in the nation last week, moved up three spots despite going 1-0-1 in two neutral-site games in Grand Junction. Fort Lewis defeated Dixie State (Utah) 3-1 on Friday and tied Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 2-2 through two overtimes yesterday.

“It’s important that we get off to a strong start in the conference games and just continue to get better,” fifth-year FLC head coach Damian Clarke said of this weekend’s home games against Colorado State-Pueblo (3-1-0 overall) and Nebraska-Kearney (2-2-0). FLC hosts the ThunderWolves at 3:30 p.m. Friday and the Lopers at 1 p.m. Sunday.

“This was our toughest weekend we had all year long last year,” Clarke said of his team’s league-opening road trip to Pueblo and Kearney last September, one that saw the Skyhawks lose 2-1 to the ThunderWolves and pull out an improbable 2-1 late-game win over the Lopers.

He said that the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, which also placed Metro State (No. 11) and Colorado Mines (No. 20) in this week’s Top 25 poll, is stronger than ever. “I think there are five teams in the conference that are good enough to beat anybody in the country. The level of competition from top to bottom is just tremendous.”

The complete poll includes:

1. Florida Tech
2. St. Edward’s (Texas)
3. Fort Lewis (Colo.)
4. California (Pa.)
5. UC-San Diego
6. Quincy (Ill.)
7. Bridgeport (Conn.)
8. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.)
9. Saint Rose (N.Y.)
10. West Chester (Pa.)
11. Metro State (Colo.)
12. Abilene Christian (Texas)
13. Northern Michigan
14. Cal. State-Dominguez Hills
15. North Carolina-Pembroke
16. Rollins (Fla.)
17. Edinboro (Pa.)
18. Merrimack (Mass.)
19. Grand Valley State (Mich.)
20. Colorado Mines
21. Nova Southeastern (Fla.)
22. Midwestern State (Texas)
23. Cal. State-Stanislaus
24. Armstrong Atlantic (Ga.)
25. Central Missouri

Also receiving votes: Cal. State Los Angeles, Lynn (Fla.), Columbus State (Ga.), Seattle Pacific (Wash.), Southern Connecticut State, Bellarmine (Ky.), Minnesota State, Cal. Poly Pomona, Kutztown (Pa).

Additionally, the NCAA Division II regional rankings were announced today. The Skyhawks top the Central Region rankings for the second week in a row:

1. Fort Lewis (Colo.)
2. Metro State (Colo.)
3. Colorado Mines
4. Minnesota State
5. Regis (Colo.)
6. UC-Colorado Springs
7. Colorado State-Pueblo
8. Mary (N.D.)
9. Adams State (Colo.)
10. Augustana (S.D.)

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