2024 NJCAA DI MEN'S SOCCER POLL - WEEK 5
Ottumwa, IA – For the first time in program history, the Indian Hills Men's Soccer team is ranked No. 1 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) poll. The Warriors jumped two spots this week to take over the top of the national rankings.
With a 9-0-1 start to the year, its best start to a season in program history, Indian Hills leaped ahead of previous No. 1 Eastern Florida State College and No. 2 Salt Lake Community College (UT) following a pair of key road wins last week. The Warriors scored victories over then-No. 4 Cowley College (KS) and then-No. 13 Illinois Central Community College. Both losses were the first of the year for each team.
"To receive the first-place vote is a testament to the work our guys have shown since the start of preseason and the foundation that was laid by last year's group and coaching staff," stated head coach Zac Newton. "Our guys know that there is still plenty of games left in the season, and are determined to not just only maintain our work rate, but elevate ourselves to keep it. Being number one is nice, but what's more meaningful to our guys is where we finish at the end of the year, that's the most important thing."
The Warriors are off to a historic start that includes just the one tie against Iowa Lakes Community College, currently ranked No. 1 in the latest NJCAA DII national polls. Indian Hills has pitched four shutouts on the year to aid in its unbeaten run to start the year.
Indian Hills, who spent the last three weeks ranked No. 3 in the nation, has now been ranked in 15 consecutive polls dating back to week one of the 2023 season. Since its first appearance in the national rankings in 2017, the Warriors have appeared in 44 national polls, including 17 weeks in the top-10 and six times in the top-five.
The Warriors have been paced by a multitude of both sophomores and freshman this year, including second-year member Daniel Mulero (Asturias, Spain/Salesianos Santo Angel Aviles) who currently ranks third in the nation with 26 points (9g, 8a) and is the only player in the NJCAA with at least eight goals and eight points. Fellow sophomore Lucas Bauer (Oldenburg, Germany/IGS Kreyenbruck) ranks 21st nationally with 17 points so far in 2024.
Defensively, Bernardo Manzano (Palmas, Brazil/Layton Christian Academy) leads the NJCAA with eight wins in net for the Warriors and owns a 0.84 goals against average. As a team, the Warriors rank 13th nationally with a 0.70 goals against average. The Warriors have outscored their opponents 37-8 on the year.
Salt Lake entered the week ranked No. 2 followed by Tyler Junior College (TX), Cowley, and Arizona Western College to round out the top-five. The Warriors' conference foe Iowa Western Community College checked in at No. 6 in this week's poll.
Along with its impressive start to the year, the Warriors have garnered numerous individual accolades throughout the early portion of the year, including eight Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Athlete of the Week honors and one NJCAA National Player of the Week selection.
The Warriors' challenging schedule continues this week with a trip to Great Bend, KS for the Barton Classic, hosted by Barton Community College (KS). The Warriors will take on Otero Junior College (CO) at 10:00 AM on Wednesday followed by a date against No. 20 nationally ranked Barton, a team that knocked the Warriors out of the national tournament a year ago, at 10:00 AM on Thursday.
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