TDS Division I Men's Top 25: Sept. 19

by TopDrawerSoccer

September 19, 2016

There is a new No. 1 in men’s Division I soccer. After four weeks at the top of the standings, the North Carolina fell from the land of the unbeatens last week with a 0-1 loss to East Tennessee State. Notre Dame also suffered its first defeat of the season last week with a 0-1 road loss to Louisville.

The pair of losses opened the door for Syracuse to jump into the top spot in the TopDrawerSoccer Men’s Top 25 for the fifth week of the season. The Orange is 7-0 on the season with 16 goals for and only three goals against. Chris Nanco and Johannes Pieles lead the way for Syracuse with nine points each at this stage of the season. Ian McIntyre’s side will be tested this month. Notre Dame and North Carolina are on the schedule for the next two Fridays.

The aforementioned Notre Dame slots in at No. 2 again this week. The Irish suffered the defeat to Louisville, but Bobby Clark’s squad still looks like it is one of the best this season. Freshman midfielder Tommy McCabe has been impressive through his first month of college soccer.

North Carolina moves down to No. 3 following the loss from last week. The Tar Heels responded from the loss with a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh. The Tar Heels are going to face a number of stout defenses over the next few weeks as teams start to adjust to their unique style of play.

Charlotte moves up to No. 4 this week. The 49ers improved to 4-0 on the season with a 2-0 win over Old Dominion on Saturday. Charlotte takes on UNC Wilmington and Florida International in a pair of difficult games this week.

Clemson slots in at No. 5 this week. The Tigers played to a 3-3 draw against Virginia in a wild game on Saturday. After playing ranked teams in the past three games, the Clemson schedule is a bit easier for the next few weeks.

Check out the TopDrawerSoccer Men’s Top 25.

Related Topics: College Top 25, Atlantic Coast, Conference USA, Southern