The parity of men's college soccer strikes again. West Virginia quite literally snatched the top spot from Marshall in a huge 5-2 upset and Notre Dame comes prancing into the mix. With the NCAA Divison I Men's Soccer Committee release last Thursday, fans thought they had a good idea of top picks ahead of tournament selections. Not so fast. With many conference titles still up for grabs the men's soccer squads are likely to continue to surprise fans. NCAA reporter Andrew McDevitt has a fresh take on this week's Power 5 rankings.
Here's the breakdown.
5. Marshall | 12-2 (Prev. 1)
It was a rocky week for the Herd, who lost to West Virginia 5-2 and Kentucky 2-0. The losses halted the 12-game win streak and dropped Marshall to second in the Sun Belt conference standings. Sunday's contest against Kentucky saw a surplus of Herd shots (16) and corners (11). Marshall will get a chance to rectify their losses in the last two matches of the regular season against Old Dominion on Friday, Oct. 27, and South Carolina on Tuesday, Oct. 31.
4. Wake Forest | 11-1-4 (5)
The Deacs stole another point from a ranked opponent Friday, drawing with No. 6 Notre Dame. Before that, Wake beat No. 14 UNC and then trounced Robert Morris 5-1 to close out nonconference play. Over 2,200 fans gathered to watch the ACC Atlantic (WF) and Coastal (ND) leaders battle out a 1-1 draw, allowing the Deacs to close regular-season home play undefeated. Wake Forest has a shot at clinching the program's fifth division title on Friday as they travel to play at Louisville.
3. Notre Dame | 10-1-4 (NR)
The Fighting Irish secured the ACC Atlantic Division title with a diving header equalizer in the 85th minute against No. 3 Wake Forest. The tie came after a 3-0 road win at Michigan that marked the squad's fourth straight shutout. Notre Dame will host No. 23 Pitt for the regular season finale on Friday.
2. UCF | 9-1-2 (2)
The Knights picked up a huge 5-0 win at Coastal Carolina and outlasted South Carolina 3-2 to extend a five-game win streak. The contest at Coastal Carolina saw goals from five different UCF players and was the highest-scoring match this season. The Knights will close regular-season play with matches at Georgia State on Friday and host James Madison on Tuesday.
1. West Virginia | 10-0-4 (3)
The Mountaineers were the first to topple the previously No. 1 Marshall. And they didn't exactly cough out a win either. West Virginia put in 5 goals, protecting their no-loss record and snapping the Herd's undefeated record. It was the program's first win over a No. 1 team since 2011 and the highest-scoring match for the Mountaineers this season. This Friday, the Mountaineers travel to play Kentucky, the team that beat No. 1 Marshall directly after WVU. Then, West Virginia will finish out the regular season at home against Old Dominion on Tuesday.