Marshall is the frontrunner both in terms of their ranking and the number of victories they've secured. The Herd displayed remarkable consistency, going on a remarkable 12-game winning streak without even a tie, let alone a loss. The only blemish on their otherwise pristine record was a single defeat against West Virginia, which doesn't diminish their overall dominance over opponents. Leading the Sun Belt Conference with 15 points and a 5-1 record, they have UCF trailing at No. 2 with 13 points, followed by WVU with 12. Setting aside the hiccup against WVU, Marshall has been prolific, outscoring their rivals 38 to 5, averaging approximately three goals per game. With three conference matchups remaining in the regular season, The Herd aims to maintain their top position.
West Virginia stands as the sole undefeated team among the top 16, holding the No. 5 spot in the rankings. They not only maintain a flawless record but also achieved the feat of defeating the top-ranked Marshall earlier in the season, doing so in dramatic fashion with a 5-2 scoreline, spearheaded by sophomore Marcus Caldeira's remarkable hat-trick. Even though WVU has four ties, these aren't sufficient to surpass Marshall's single loss in the rankings. WVU has shown strength on their home ground, securing two victories in top-5 ranked matches at home and drawing their only ranked away game. Caldeira leads both the team and the conference with 12 goals this season. Interestingly, the defending champions, Syracuse, are notably absent from the top 16 rankings.
None of the teams that competed in the 2022 College Cup, including Syracuse, Indiana, Creighton, and Pitt, have managed to secure a place in the current top 16 rankings. Despite a challenging schedule with several drawn matches against ranked opponents, Syracuse shouldn't be underestimated when it comes to the upcoming tournament. In last year's midseason top 16 rankings, Syracuse held the No. 4 spot, and it's worth noting that the top three teams from that ranking were eliminated either during or before the NCAA tournament quarterfinals.
There are also notable omissions in the United Soccer Coaches Poll's top 16. Loyola Marymount, with a record of 6-1-5 overall and 1-0-1 in conference play, initially made it to No. 24 in the Coaches Poll for the first two weeks of the season but hasn't been ranked since. The Lions have achieved impressive victories against Power 5 conference teams, including Virginia (3-1), Oregon State (2-0), and UCLA (1-0). With just two matches played in conference play, Loyola Marymount has significant potential to make a substantial impact in the West Coast Conference and secure a place in the Committee's top 16.
Virginia, despite being ranked No. 18 in the United coaches poll this week, hadn't made the list earlier in the season. The Cavaliers have faced a challenging schedule, securing wins against former No. 11 Pitt and No. 8 Louisville, in addition to two ranked ties. A standout freshman, Stephen Annor, has been pivotal in their success, contributing to a five-game winning streak, three of which involved comeback victories, and scoring seven goals in their last eight matches. The rankings take into account various factors, including strength of schedule, Rating Percentage Index (RPI), head-to-head competition, results against common opponents, performance in the last eight games, and strength against conference and non-conference opponents, without any particular order.
