KANSAS CITY, Mo.--- The Stanislaus State men's soccer team is off to the best start in program history and continues to make waves on the national stage, ranking No. 3 in the latest United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II poll. The Warriors, who held the No. 2 national ranking for the past three weeks, remain in the Top 20 for the fifth straight week and continue to lead the West Region for the fourth consecutive week, as announced Tuesday (Oct. 7).

Stanislaus State is one of six West Region programs appearing in or receiving votes in this week's national poll, underscoring the region's strength. Seattle Pacific is ranked No. 12, Cal Poly Pomona is No. 16, Cal State San Bernardino sits at No. 24, while Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Dominguez Hills, and Point Loma all received votes.

In the latest regional poll, Stanislaus State (7-0-1) leads the way ahead of Seattle Pacific (6-1-2) at No. 2 and Cal Poly Pomona (5-1-3) at No. 3. Cal State San Bernardino (5-1-3) and Point Loma (5-2-1) round out the top five, followed by Cal State Los Angeles (4-1-4), Cal State Dominguez Hills (4-2-3), Hawai'i Pacific (5-1-2), Menlo (6-3-0), and Concordia Irvine (4-3-1). The Warriors are the lone CCAA program to hold the top regional spot and are 3-0 this season against teams currently ranked in the West Region's top 10.

Now 7-0-1 overall and 1-0-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, the Warriors are one of only a few unbeaten teams left in Division II and have showcased both attacking depth and defensive discipline through the first half of the season.

Recap: Warriors Open CCAA Play Unbeaten at Home
Stanislaus State extended its unbeaten streak to eight matches to start the season, opening CCAA play with a 2–2 draw against Cal State East Bay and a 2–1 win over then-No. 21 Cal State Los Angeles in the FloCollege/CCAA Game of the Week.  Sebastian Carbajal and Samuel Villanueva scored in Friday's draw with East Bay, while goalkeeper Angel Ruiz-Hernandez made six saves. On Sunday, Gerardo Flores and Alexis Cervantes found the net as the Warriors rallied past Cal State Los Angeles, holding the Golden Eagles without a shot on goal in the second half.

Update on the Warriors
Stanislaus State has outscored opponents 19–5 and posted four shutouts while averaging 2.38 goals per game and allowing just 0.63. Gerardo Flores and Emmanuel Duran share the team lead with five goals each, while Villanueva continues to spark the attack with a CCAA-best seven assists. Goalkeeper Ruiz-Hernandez has been outstanding between the posts, owning a 0.63 goals-against average and an .821 save percentage in over 700 minutes of play.

Top in the Nation in Win-Loss Percentage
Stanislaus State currently ranks No. 2 nationally in Division II in win-loss-tie percentage at .938 (7-0-1), trailing only Young Harris (.944). The Warriors are tied with Lynn and Palm Beach Atlantic for second nationally in the category, continuing their climb among the country's elite programs.

National and CCAA Leaders
The Warriors rank among the nation's elite statistically, sitting sixth in assists per game (2.50), 12th in points per game (7.25), 15th in scoring offense (2.38), eighth in goals-against average (0.625), 11th in shutout percentage (0.500), 17th in save percentage (0.828), and ninth in total assists (20).

Individually, Samuel Villanueva leads NCAA Division II in assists per game (1.00) and ranks third with seven total assists. Gerardo Flores stands fifth nationally with three game-winning goals, while goalkeeper Angel Ruiz-Hernandez is 15th in goals-against average (0.630).

Within the CCAA, Flores is tied for first in goals (5), game-winning goals (3), and total points (12). Duran is tied for first in goals (5), tied for fourth in game-winning goals (1), and sits fourth in points (10). Adrian Yepez ranks third in assists (3), while Kenneth Solares is tied for second in game-winning goals (2). In goal, Ruiz-Hernandez leads the CCAA in goals-against average (0.630), ranks second in save percentage (.821), is tied for second in shutouts (3), and stands fourth in total saves (23).

Warriors Earn FloCollege/CCAA Weekly Honors
Three Stanislaus State players have earned FloCollege/CCAA weekly awards this season. Emmanuel Duran was named Offensive Player of the Week for September 1–7, while Christian Brenes claimed Defensive Player of the Week honors for September 8–14. Most recently, goalkeeper Angel Ruiz-Hernandez was recognized as the Defensive Player of the Week for September 15–21.

Up Next
Stanislaus State begins a three-match road trip this Friday, October 10, at No. 24 Cal State San Bernardino at 12:30 p.m. The Warriors then face No. 16 Cal Poly Pomona on Sunday, October 12, at 2 p.m., before closing the trip at Cal Poly Humboldt on Friday, October 17, at 3 p.m.

The Warriors will return home on Sunday, October 19, at 2 p.m. when they host Cal State San Marcos. Prior to the match, Stanislaus State will recognize its seniors — Angel Ruiz-Hernandez, Federico Barbieri, Ian Reis, Landon Leal Ruiz, Ryan Rosas, Samuel Villanueva, and Anthony Sanchez — for their contributions to the program.