The men's and women's soccer teams get the ball rolling on Wayland Baptist's 2013-14 athletics year this weekend, and the squads hope to make a statement – or two – right out of the gate.
The Pioneer men will travel to the Midwest to take on a pair of NAIA Top 25 teams, first meeting MidAmerica Nazarene at 5 p.m. Friday in Olathe, Kan., before taking on Missouri Valley College of Marshall, Mo., at 2 p.m. Sunday at a neutral site also in Olathe. MidAmerica is ranked No. 4 in the preseason poll while Missouri Valley is No. 18.
Wayland coach Jamath Shoffner, whose own team received five votes (the equivalent of No. 40) in the preseason poll, knows the Pioneers are in for a tough season-opening road trip, but at the same time said they are excited about the challenge.
"We're really, really looking forward to that game," he said of the opener against MidAmerica Nazarene, which advanced to last year's Final Four. "We know it's going to be tough playing at their place to open up the season, but hopefully our guys will be prepared."
Shoffner believes they will be.
"We've had a great preseason," said the third-year coach who is looking for another precedent-setting season after going a program-best 12-4-2 in 2012. "The guys have really worked hard and bought into what we're trying to do. They've had a great attitude."
It doesn't get much easier for the Pioneers after MidAmerica Nazarene as they stay in Olathe to take on Missouri Valley.
"They're a really physical team," Shoffner said. "They have a lot of international guys, so we know that's going to be a tough game as well."
The Pioneers make their home debut at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31 against Huston-Tillotson.
"We had great support at our last (home) game (last season)," Shoffner said. "We encourage everyone to come out and support us (and) start out this season on a strong note and continue that for the season.
While the men's team heads out of state to play two teams they've never before faced, coach Shiloh Posey's women's team – coming off a season which produced a program-high eight wins – will be trying to replicate results from the start of last season against two teams the Pioneers defeated to kick off the 2012 campaign.
First, Posey's squad will be in Brownwood on Saturday to take on Howard Payne beginning at 4 p.m. Wayland and HPU played last year in the second match of the season in Plainview with the Pioneers prevailing, 2-0.
"I have real high hopes," Posey said. "In the past we've been able to be successful against them the last several years, so hopefully we can continue that.
"I think it's important to get off to a good start," he added. "Every team likes to get a win to start; that's vital to a team's mentality. We're going to give it our very best effort, and we plan for the 'W' to be there at the end of Saturday."
After Howard Payne, the Pioneers travel to Hobbs, N.M., on Tuesday to meet University of the Southwest at 2 p.m. Those teams squared off in the season-opener a year ago with Wayland finishing on top, 2-1.
"I'm looking forward to seeing the results of our two-a-day practices and how the girls have come together," Posey said. "We have some untested freshmen, and with this first game I'm sure there will be some nerves, but I feel like the girls with a little more experience will be able to help them calm down."
While the Pioneers are inexperienced in spots, the seventh-year coach said it's important to "play past that and push each other to do the very best we can." In addition to the veterans, the team is counting on several transfers to help the newcomers through that.
"They have stepped right in and filled in some gaps with the graduations we had last year," he said of the transfers. "They are a great addition to what we're doing."
Posey said he has "a solid team. Everyone is able to step on the field and do a great job, which allows us not to have any letdowns. That's a great thing.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what everybody can do under some circumstances other than practice."
The team's first home match is Sept. 6 against Huston-Tillotson.
"We have real high aspirations for the season," Posey said. "The girls are hungry to play well and win. The game against Oklahoma City (University) in the (Sooner Athletic Conference) quarterfinals last year left a bit of a bad taste in their mouths, and they're looking for redemption and to go back and get what they feel like they deserve."
Looking at the To 25 polls, two SAC men's teams came in higher than Wayland, Science & Arts of Oklahoma at No. 10 and Oklahoma City, which is ranked the equivalent of 31st. John Brown University, which was picked to finish just above Wayland in the conference preseason poll in third place, did not receive any Top 25 votes. There were no changes among the top 16 positions from the 2012 Postseason Top 25 poll, and there were no newcomers to the Top 25.
On the women's side, OCU was the only SAC team in the Top 25 at No. 8. USAO also received votes.
The Top 25 polls are voted on by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The first regular-season Top 25 Poll will be announced Sept. 10.
NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll
|
RANK |
LAST TIME^ |
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) |
2012 RECORD |
TOTAL POINTS |
|
1 |
1 |
Belhaven (Miss.) (19) |
19-4-1 |
498 |
|
2 |
2 |
Mobile (Ala.) |
17-5-2 |
480 |
|
3 |
3 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
22-2 |
467 |
|
4 |
4 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
13-2-9 |
449 |
|
5 |
5 |
Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) |
18-4-2 |
434 |
|
6 |
6 |
Concordia (Calif.) |
19-3-1 |
414 |
|
7 |
7 |
Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) |
16-5 |
393 |
|
8 |
8 |
Southern Poly (Ga.) |
15-6-1 |
382 |
|
9 |
9 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
16-3-1 |
379 |
|
10 |
10 |
Science & Arts (Okla.) |
14-1-4 |
362 |
|
11 |
11 |
Concordia (Ore.) |
16-4-2 |
336 |
|
12 |
12 |
Columbia (Mo.) |
14-2-6 |
319 |
|
13 |
13 |
Hastings (Neb.) |
16-7 |
304 |
|
14 |
14 |
Oklahoma Wesleyan |
19-1-1 |
296 |
|
15 |
15 |
Ashford (Iowa) |
13-4-3 |
272 |
|
16 |
16 |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
16-5-1 |
249 |
|
17 |
19 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
12-3-4 |
246 |
|
18 |
20 |
Missouri Valley |
12-7-2 |
217 |
|
19 |
21 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
14-3-3 |
188 |
|
20 |
25 |
Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) |
13-4-3 |
171 |
|
21 |
22 |
Southern Wesleyan (S.C.) |
15-3-2 |
161 |
|
22 |
23 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
13-3-2 |
154 |
|
23 |
18 |
Kansas Wesleyan |
16-3-2 |
150 |
|
24 |
24 |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
12-4-1 |
135 |
|
25 |
17 |
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) |
14-4-5 |
107 |
Others Receiving Votes: Baker (Kan.) 52; Tennessee Wesleyan 47; Grand View (Iowa) 42; San Diego Christian (Calif.) 40; Indiana Wesleyan 29; Oklahoma City 27; Aquinas (Mich.) 23; Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 20; Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 19; Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 14; Thomas (Ga.) 10; Lyon (Ark.) 8; Evergreen (Wash.) 8; SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 6; Wayland Baptist (Texas) 5; Spring Arbor (Mich.) 5; McPherson (Kan.) 3.
^ 2012 NAIA Men's Soccer Coaches Postseason Top 25 Poll
NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll
|
RANK |
LAST TIME^ |
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) |
2012 RECORD |
TOTAL POINTS |
|
1 |
1 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (20) |
20-4-1 |
591 |
|
2 |
3 |
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) (1) |
19-4-1 |
566 |
|
3 |
4 |
Spring Arbor (Mich.) |
20-3-2 |
543 |
|
4 |
5 |
Vanguard (Calif.) |
18-2-1 |
532 |
|
5 |
6 |
Concordia (Ore.) |
17-3-2 |
527 |
|
6 |
7 |
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) |
17-6-0 |
499 |
|
7 |
8 |
Mobile (Ala.) |
15-4-2 |
468 |
|
8 |
10 |
Oklahoma City |
20-2-0 |
451 |
|
9 |
9 |
Texas at Brownsville |
16-4-1 |
437 |
|
10 |
12 |
Northwood (Fla.) |
14-5-1 |
412 |
|
11 |
11 |
Kansas Wesleyan |
20-2-0 |
390 |
|
12 |
13 |
Martin Methodist (Tenn.) |
15-4-0 |
381 |
|
13 |
14 |
Cumberland (Tenn.) |
19-3-0 |
374 |
|
14 |
15 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
14-5-1 |
338 |
|
15 |
16 |
Robert Morris (Ill.) |
16-7-0 |
330 |
|
16 |
18 |
Graceland (Iowa) |
17-3-1 |
307 |
|
17 |
17 |
Cal State San Marcos |
11-6-3 |
293 |
|
18 |
19 |
Westmont (Calif.) |
12-6-1 |
282 |
|
19 |
21 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
15-3-3 |
235 |
|
20 |
20 |
Ashford (Iowa) |
14-5-2 |
211 |
|
21 |
22 |
Davenport (Mich.) |
17-3-1 |
191 |
|
22 |
23 |
Brenau (Ga.) |
13-5-0 |
173 |
|
23 |
24 |
Baker (Kan.) |
13-7-1 |
171 |
|
24 |
25 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
14-2-2 |
139 |
|
25 |
RV |
Judson (Ill.) |
19-6-0 |
120 |
Others Receiving Votes: Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) 67; Viterbo (Wis.) 66; Carroll (Mont.) 66; Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 44; Bellevue (Neb.) 36; Biola (Calif.) 35; Grace (Ind.) 28; Indiana Wesleyan 23; Science & Arts (Okla.) 15; Northwest (Wash.) 10; Montreat (N.C.) 6; Indiana Tech 6; Westminster (Utah) 5; Oklahoma Wesleyan 4; SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 4.
^ 2012 NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches Postseason Top 25 Poll
