By Tim Glon
The Ohio Northern men's soccer team is ranked No. 12 in the 2012 Continental Tire/NSCAA Men's Division III preseason poll in voting conducted by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
The Polar Bears were ranked No. 11 in the final 2011 NSCAA poll.
ONU has now been nationally ranked in four of the past five seasons.
Ohio Wesleyan is ranked No. 1 after winning the 2011 NCAA III Tournament title, Saint Lawrence (N.Y.) is second and Messiah (Pa.) is third.
Northern will open its 2012 campaign at the Penn State-Behrend Tournament against Geneseo State (N.Y.) on Sept. 1 at 2:30 pm.
The Polar Bears finished 20-3-2 (which tied for the second-most wins in the nation), won their second consecutive OAC Regular Season title with an 8-0-1 mark, won the OAC Tournament and made their fifth consecutive NCAA III Tournament appearance in 2011 under 15th-year head coach Brent Ridenour.
NSCAA Division III Men's Poll - Preseason
August 9, 2012
Rank School 2011 Record 2011 Rank
1. Ohio Wesleyan 23-2-0 1
2. Saint Lawrence (N.Y.) 18-1-1 8
3. Messiah (Pa.) 18-1-1 15
4. Rutgers-Camden (N.J.) 19-3-2 5
5. Trinity (Tex.) 14-2-2 17
6. Amherst (Mass.) 16-2-2 10
7. Stevens (N.J.) 17-3-1 6
8. Oneonta State (N.Y.) 18-3-2 3
9. Texas-Tyler 18-3-2 7
10. Redlands (Calif.) 20-3-2 12
11. Montclair State (N.J.) 19-4-3 4
12. Ohio Northern 20-3-2 11
13. Christopher Newport (Va.) 17-1-1 20
14. Calvin (Mich.) 19-6-2 2
15. Loras (Iowa) 17-4-2 19
16. Saint Olaf (Minn.) 17-4-1 t20
17. Dominican (Ill.) 19-3-0 t20
18. Babson (Mass.) 16-3-4 13
19. Luther (Iowa) 17-4-2 14
20. Hope (Mich.) 12-5-4 9
21. Washington (Mo.) 15-4-1 23
22. Neumann (Pa.) 14-5-1 NR
23. Western New England (Conn.) 16-4-1 t24
24. Wesleyan (Conn.) 15-4-1 t24
25. Pacific Lutheran (Ore.) 15-4-0 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Trinity (Conn.), Dickinson (Pa.), Case Western Reserve (Ohio), DeSales (Pa.), SUNY Brockport, Eastern Connecticut State, Whitworth (Wash.)
