Dec. 28, 2007

AMHERST, Mass. - Despite not being ranked the entire season, the UMass men's soccer team finished the 2007 season ranked No. 4 in the NSCAA/adidas National Top-25 Poll which was published at the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament. The Minutemen made the NCAA Tournament earning a spot in the College Cup and the National Semifinals for the first time in school history. The last time UMass was ranked in the top 25 was during the 2006 season with a No. 22 ranking after starting the year 5-0-1. UMass finished the 2007 season with a 17-8-1 overall record - a school record.

The postseason run actually started with a road loss at Temple in the final game of the regular season. That loss motivated the Minutemen who won the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament for the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Tournament berth was just the second all-time for the men's soccer program.

UMass began the NCAA Tournament with a win over over Boston University followed by an upset win at No. 1 seed Boston College in the second round. The Minutemen made history by becoming the first team to eliminate the No. 1 seed in the second round. From that point, UMass defeated Central Connecticut and Illinois-Chicago to earn a spot in the NCAA College Cup.

A tough loss to Ohio State in the National Semifinals ended UMass' season, but the Minutemen had secured their place in the program's 75-year history.

The No. 4 ranking is the highest ever in school history. This is just the third time since the 2003 season that the Minutemen have been ranked in the National Top-25 poll: #4 (final poll 2007), #22 (Sept. 12, 2006), #13 (Oct. 8, 2003).

With the run through the NCAA Tournament, UMass also jumped in the NCAA RPI rankings to No. 16 among 202 teams. The Minutemen were ranked 55th nationally heading into the tournament.

The Minutemen also helped the UMass Athletic Department in the U.S. Sports Academy Directors Cup rankings. After the Minutemen made the College Cup, UMass jumped to 19th overall among Division I schools - the top ranked non-BCS affiliated athletic program. The men's soccer team earned 83 of UMass' 168 total points.