SIUE Men's Soccer Opens Season Ranked No. 4 Nationally
         EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. - Coach Ed Huneke and the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville men’s soccer team open the 2006 season tabbed No. 4 in the nation in the Adidas/National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division II rankings.
         SIUE, 16-3-3 last season after advancing to the NCAA national semifinals for the second straight season, are picked among the nation's elite once again. The Cougars were on the nation's top four during every poll during the 2005 season.
         Huneke and the Cougars will get a true test in game one of the season. SIUE travels to play No. 1-ranked and defending national champion Fort Lewis in a neutral site game in Denver, Colo., on Friday, Aug. 25. The Cougars also face 12th-ranked Colorado Mines on Sunday, Aug. 27. SIUE's first home contest is Friday, Sept. 1 against Christian Brothers.
         SIUE, the Great Lakes region champion three out of the last five seasons, is among three teams in the Great Lakes region to be nationally-ranked to begin the season. Defending Great Lakes Valley Conference champion Rockhurst is ranked No. 13, and UW-Parkside is No. 20 nationally.
         Below is the rankings as of Aug. 15.

No. School                                   Prev. 2005 Rec.
 1  Fort Lewis College (Colo.)                 1    22-0-1    
 2  Franklin Pierce College (N.H.)             2    16-6-5    
 3  Lynn University (Fla.)                     3    16-3-0    
 4  SIU Edwardsville                           4    16-3-3    
 5  Cal State Dominguez Hills                  5    16-5-3    
 6  Carson-Newman College (Tenn.)              6    18-2-2    
 7  Dowling College (N.Y.)                    10    13-1-5    
 8  Clayton State (Ga.)                       12    13-4-4    
 9  Seattle Pacific University                 7    15-3-3    
10  Saint Leo University (Fla.)                9    15-2-0    
11  Dominican College (N.Y.)                  11    18-2-0    
12  Colorado School of Mines                  14    13-7-4    
13  Rockhurst University (Mo.)                18    15-5-1    
14  Lander University (S.C.)                  15    11-5-4    
15  Catawba College (N.C.)                    17    15-5-2    
16  New York Institute of Technology           8    13-4-4    
17  Sonoma State University (Calif.)          21    12-9-2    
18  University of Montevallo (Ala.)           NR    16-5-2    
19  University of the Incarnate Word (Texas)  23    14-4-3    
20  University of Wisconsin, Parkside         NR    13-4-1    
21  LeMoyne College (N.Y.)                    24    14-6-2    
23  University of North Carolina-Pembroke     19    12-3-5    
23  Tusculum College (Tenn.)                  25    11-7-1    
24  Southern Connecticut State University     NR    10-4-4    
25  Rollins College (Fla.)                    NR    10-5-0    
2005 Final Record and Rank Shown