INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Haverford College men's soccer team continues to make its case among the top programs in the Mid-Atlantic, debuting at No. 5 in the latest NCAA Region V rankings released this week. The Fords (7-0-7, 1-0-4 CC) remain unbeaten through 14 matches after battling to a 1-1 draw on Saturday against No. 9 Dickinson (9-0-5, 3-0-2 CC), the region's top-ranked team.
The result extended Haverford's season-opening unbeaten streak to a program-record 14 matches, nearing the overall mark of the 2015 squad that went 16 straight without a loss en route to an NCAA Tournament Elite 8 appearance.
Haverford's regional standing reflects both its consistency and the competitiveness of its schedule within one of the nation's toughest conferences as well as an always daunting Region V slate. The Fords' NPI of 53.828 places them fifth among Region V teams, just behind Muhlenberg (54.942) and ahead of Salisbury (53.731) and Gettysburg (53.199).
The NPI, or NCAA Power Index, was adopted last season by the NCAA is the primary metric used to help determine the 21 at-large bids into the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship. It factors in a team's winning percentage, strength of schedule, home-away weighting, quality-win bonuses, and overtime results to provide an objective snapshot of performance and résumé strength.
With much of the heart of their demanding Centennial Conference schedule still to come, the Fords aim to keep their unbeaten run alive as they head to Long Island for a midweek non-conference test, taking on Farmingdale State in Farmingdale, N.Y., on Wednesday, October 15, with kickoff set for 4 p.m.
