NJCAA DI MEN'S SOCCER POLL - WEEK 1
Ottumwa, IA – The Indian Hills Men's Soccer team climbed five spots in the first regular season National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Men's Soccer poll. The Warriors, ranked No. 17 in the preseason polls, are off to a 3-0-1 start on the year.
After picking up three wins to start the year, the Warriors, who earned 56 points in this week's poll, claimed their highest national ranking since a No. 12 rank in the preseason poll in 2018. Indian Hills' previous highest regular season spot in the national polls came in 2017 when the Warriors finished the season No. 6 in the NJCAA.
The Warriors' strong start to the season is tied for the second-best mark in school history, joining the 2019 team who went 3-0-1 while the 2017 squad started the year 4-0-0. Indian Hills started the 2023 year with back-to-back wins at the IHCC Classic – a 4-1 triumph over Southwestern Illinois College and a 1-0 victory over Marshalltown Community College. The Warriors followed up with two results on the road – a 1-1 tie at Johnson County Community College and a 3-0 victory over then-No. 18 Jefferson College (MO), the 2022 NJCAA Region 16 champion.
Sophomore Gustavo Marques (São Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Anglo Indaiatuba) has powered the offense with three goals and an assist on the year while Lucas Bauer (Oldenburg, Germany/IGS Kreyenbruck) and Alex Rodriguez (Valladoli, Spain/Les Nunez de Arce) have added six and five points, respectively. In net, sophomore Kaz Kromwijk (Schenkeldijk, Netherlands/Stedelijk Dalton Lyceum Kaptynweg) has earned three wins to anchor the defense for the Warriors.
Monroe College (NY) tops the first regular season poll followed by Arizona Western College, Cowley Community College (KS), Salt Lake Community College (UT), and Iowa Western Community College.
Indian Hills returns to action this weekend at the Barton Classic in Great Bend, KS for a pair of games. The Warriors will take on tournament host Barton Community College (KS) at 1:30 PM on September 1 and Otero College (CO) at 4:00 PM on September 3.
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