women’s soccer moves up in rankings

The Muhlenberg women’s soccer team moved up from eighth to fifth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America rankings for the Middle Atlantic Region.

The ranking is the highest for the Mules since they were third in the region, and ranked 20th in Division III, after the first week of the 2004 season.

The top three teams in the region — New Jersey, Messiah and Johns Hopkins — are all ranked in the top 10 in Division III, at No. 1, No. 3 and No. 9, respectively. Muhlenberg travels to play Messiah tomorrow night and faces Johns Hopkins later in the season. Messiah and Hopkins played to a scoreless draw last week.

Future opponents Swarthmore (seventh) and Moravian (eighth) also appear in the regional top 10.

Muhlenberg is 5-0 for the first time in team history and has outscored its opponents 22-3. Through games of Sunday, the Mules were one of 29 undefeated, untied teams in Division III. They ranked 23rd in Division III in goals scored per game, and freshman Renee Dessimone was 25th in the nation in goals per game.

 
Junior Jennifer Lynch contributed to the Mules’ high-scoring ways by netting a goal in Saturday’s 7-0 win vs. Neumann.