Kansas City, Mo. – After winning the Heart of America Athletic Conference regular season title with a 10-2 record in the fall, the Central Methodist women's soccer team came in at No. 9 in the latest Top 25 Coaches Poll, announced by the NAIA office Wednesday afternoon.
Other Heart programs featured in the Top 25 include; No. 18 Baker, No. 22 Missouri Valley, (RV) MidAmerica Nazarene, and (RV) Benedictine.
The Eagles are the top team in the NAIA in total goals (81), assists per game (4.85) and goals per game (6.230). CMU also sits in the top 5 in four other four statistical categories. Senior forward Anika Kallash leads the nation in goals scored (21), total assists (12) and total points (54). Fellow senior Elly Boothe is tied with Kallash in total assists (12) and sits in the top 10 in assists per game (0.92). Sandra Jakobsen sits in the top 5 in three different categories including No. 3 in points (43), No. 4 in total goals (16) and No. 5 in assists (11)
The Eagles started the 2021 spring season with a 14-0 win over Stephens College last week. In order to prepare for the NAIA Championship, the Eagles have a schedule filled with numerous Top 25 teams. CMU will face No. 17 Oklahoma Wesleyan on March 10, No. 3 Marian University on March 19 and No. 15 Grace College on March 27.
Central has earned the No. 1 seed in Heart Conference Tournament, and will host Grand View University April 3 on Davis Field.
To view the complete NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Top-25 Poll, please click here.
Poll Methodology
- The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, Association of Independent Institutions and Unaffiliated Groups.
- The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place and so on through the list.
- The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low ratings) is removed and the team's ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the teams appears on.
- Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered "receiving votes."
- For the complete ratings calendar, click here
2021 NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Top 25 Poll – Poll 1 (March 3, 2021)
| RANK | LAST YEAR | SCHOOL [1st Place Votes] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 3 | William Carey (Miss.) 13 | 6-0-1 | 494 |
| 2 | 4 | Southeastern (Fla.) 2 | 15-1-1 | 476 |
| 3 | 2 | Marian (Ind.) 3 | 14-1 | 472 |
| 4 | 1 | Keiser (Fla.) | 14-1-1 | 455 |
| 5 | 9 | Martin Methodist (Tenn.) | 8-0 | 430 |
| 6 | 6 | Westmont (Calif.) | 1-2 | 406 |
| 7 | 24 | Spring Arbor (Mich.) | 10-2-1 | 387 |
| 8 | 18 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 8-0 | 382 |
| 9 | 8 | Central Methodist (Mo.) | 11-2 | 378 |
| 10 | 10 | Eastern Oregon | 2-0 | 356 |
| 11 | 5 | University of Northwestern Ohio | 0-0 | 333 |
| 12 | 7 | Indiana Wesleyan | 7-2-3 | 331 |
| 13 | 11 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 3-1 | 300 |
| 14 | 13 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 2-1 | 288 |
| 15 | 14 | Grace (Ind.) | 11-4-1 | 268 |
| 16 | 16 | John Brown (Ark.) | 2-0 | 266 |
| 17 | 21 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 9-1 | 257 |
| 18 | NR | Baker (Kan.) | 9-2-2 | 232 |
| 19 | 17 | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 0-0 | 196 |
| 20 | RV | The Master's (Calif.) | 4-2-1 | 183 |
| 21 | 25 | Columbia (Mo.) | 7-2 | 172 |
| 22 | NR | Missouri Valley | 9-3 | 138 |
| 23 | RV | Truett McConnell (Ga.) | 12-0-1 | 104 |
| 24 | NR | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 10-1-2 | 95 |
| 25 | RV | Bethel (Tenn.) | 3-1 | 93 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Benedictine (Kan.), Hastings (Neb.), Georgia Gwinnett, Midland (Neb.), Science & Arts (Okla.)
Others Receiving Votes: Trinity Christian (Ill.) 90, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 80, Benedictine (Kan.) 52, Aquinas (Mich.) 36, Southern Oregon 35, Middle Georgia State 29, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 28, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 27, Cumberland (Tenn.) 26, Reinhardt (Ga.) 21, Bellevue (Neb.) 12, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 3, Ottawa (Ariz.) 3.
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