NCAA Midwest Region Rankings
INDIANAPOLIS – The first official set of NCAA Regional Rankings for women’s soccer were published on Wednesday afternoon with three teams from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in the top 10.
Teams in consideration from the Great Midwest, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), are ranked based on specific criteria determined by the national committee.
That criteria ranges from strength of schedule, in-region winning percentage, RPI and the Performance Indicator, among others.
A total of eight teams are selected from the Midwest Region for the NCAA Championship field. Three teams receive an automatic qualifier spot for winning their respective conference tournament, leaving five at-large selections to be announced in the NCAA Selection Show.
The United Soccer Coaches Poll bears no weight on placement in the Midwest Region rankings. Ashland, Findlay and Cedarville, are all in the first rankings, while all three programs have also clinched a spot in the six-team conference tournament bracket.
Ashland comes in at No. 2 only behind Grand Valley State for the top slot in the region rankings. The Eagles are thriving in their first year as a Great Midwest member under first-year head coach Cayleb Paulino.
Ashland currently has 29 points in the conference standings on the strength of a 9-0-2 league record and stand at 10-1-3 overall. AU is lead offensively by McKinley Mendenhall with five goals and Hannah Mueller is tied for the league lead in assists with five.
Findlay, the league’s preseason favorite, has played one more conference game than Ashland at this point in the season and has 30 points at the top of the standings. The Oilers are also 10-1-3 overall with Olivia Frank and Sam Francis each scoring four goals and Madeline Nartker ranking top 10 in the conference in assists.
Both Ashland and Findlay have allowed only eight goals scored against them this season in the same sample size of 14 games played. Ashland and Findlay dueled to a scoreless draw over the past weekend.
Cedarville is also in the mix at No. 10 while staying alive in the chase for a regular season title. The Yellow Jackets are 9-2-1 in the league standings with Addie Erslan (5 G) earning offensive player of the week honors recently. First team all-conference performer Mary Kate Wyer is also tied for the conference lead with five assists.
NCAA Women's Soccer Midwest Region Ranking (#1)
| Rank |
School |
Conference |
| 1. |
Grand Valley State |
GLIAC |
| 2. |
Ashland |
Great Midwest |
| 3. |
Ferris State |
GLIAC |
| 4. |
Saginaw Valley State |
GLIAC |
| 5. |
UIndy |
GLVC |
| 6. |
McKendree |
GLVC |
| 7. |
Findlay |
Great Midwest |
| 8. |
Michigan Tech |
GLIAC |
| 9. |
Truman State |
GLVC |
| 10. |
Cedarville |
Great Midwest |