Stan State Holds No. 2 National Ranking, No. 1 in West Region for Second Straight Week
KANSAS CITY, Mo.– The Stan State men's soccer team maintained its place among the nation's best, holding the No. 2 spot in the United Soccer Coaches/NCAA Division II Top 25 for the second straight week. The Warriors are ranked nationally for the third consecutive week and remain No. 1 in the West Region for the second week in a row. Lynn is No. 1 nationally, followed by Stan State at No. 2. Off to a 6-0 start, Stan State is one of just six undefeated programs in Division II and the only team in the nation with at least six victories.
UNITED SOCCER NATIONAL RANKINGS
Stan State held steady at No. 2 in this week's United Soccer Coaches/NCAA Division II Top 25, marking the second straight week in that spot and the third consecutive week nationally ranked. The national top five features Lynn (No. 1), Stan State (No. 2), Southern New Hampshire (No. 3), Anderson (No. 4), and Fort Lewis (No. 5). Other West Region programs appearing in the poll include Cal State San Bernardino at No. 7 and Cal State Los Angeles at No. 12. Menlo and Western Oregon are also receiving votes.
UNITED SOCCER WEST REGIONAL RANKINGS
For the second consecutive week, Stan State tops the United Soccer Coaches/NCAA Division II West Region rankings. Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Los Angeles, Western Oregon, and Hawai'i Pacific round out the top five. Menlo, Cal Poly Pomona, Seattle Pacific, Northwest Nazarene, and Cal State Dominguez Hills complete the top 10. The NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Committee will begin releasing Super Region rankings in early November.
ONE OF SIX
As of Sept. 22, Stan State was one of just six undefeated NCAA Division II programs. Under third-year head coach John Powell, the Warriors are the only team with at least six wins this season.
6-0 START
After back-to-back 1-0 victories over then-No. 19 UC Merced and Dominican (Calif.), Stan State improved to 6-0. This is the Warriors' best start since 2015, when they opened with seven straight wins (Powell was then an assistant coach). With their recent pair of 1-0 shutouts, the Warriors now have four consecutive shutout victories.
NATIONAL LEADERS
According to the latest NCAA Division II statistical report:
- Samuel Villanueva leads the nation in total assists (7) and assists per game (1.40).
- Angel Ruiz-Hernandez ranks sixth in save percentage (.895), sixth in shutouts (3), and fourth in goals-against average (0.337).
- Emmanuel Duran is 18th in goals per game (0.83).
As a team, the Warriors are:
- 2nd in goal differential (+13)
- 3rd in goals-against average (0.33)
- 6th in save percentage (.900)
- 8th in both total goals (15) and total points (44)
MOVIN' ON UP
With seven assists this season, Villanueva is now tied for second on Stan State's career assists list (11) in the D2 era. The record is 15 (Nolan Holdridge, '12).
- Ruiz-Hernandez sits sixth all-time with eight career shutouts.
- Villanueva is just three assists shy of the program's single-season record of 10, set by Gerardo Cazares in 2015.
UP NEXT
Stan State opens CCAA play Oct. 3-5 at home:
- Friday, Oct. 3 – Kick Cancer Match vs. Cal State East Bay (4:30 p.m.)
- Sunday, Oct. 5 – Hispanic/LatinX Heritage Appreciation Day vs. Cal State Los Angeles (11:30 a.m.)
Latest Athletics News
- Stanislaus State Men’s Golf Heads to Western Washington InvitationalThe Stanislaus State Warriors men's golf team will continue its 2025-26 fall campaign next week, teeing off at the Western Washington University Invitational, hosted at Bellingham Golf & Country Club in Bellingham, Wash. The event is slated for September 29–30, featuring 54 holes (36 on day one, 18 on day two) with shotgun starts at 8:30 a.m. each morning.
- Rodriguez, Figueroa Goals Lift Warriors to 2-1 Win at WestmontStanislaus State leaned on clutch goals from Kellyann Rodriguez and Jocelyn Figueroa — and a dominant 19-7 shot advantage — to earn a 2-1 road victory over Westmont on Thursday afternoon. With the result, the Warriors improved to 3-1-2 on the season. Rodriguez struck first with her opening goal of the year, and after Westmont equalized midway through the second half, Figueroa answered just two minutes later with her first career game-winner — and third career goal — off a cross from Haylee Sousa to push Stan State past their hosts.
- Stanislaus State Cross Country Set for UC Riverside Invitational SaturdayAfter capturing the Kim Duyst Twilight and finishing seventh at their last meet two weeks ago, the 16th-ranked Stanislaus State women's team and the Warrior men return to competition this Saturday, Sept. 27, at the UC Riverside Invitational on the AgOps Course.
- For second straight week, Warriors hold No. 16 nationally and No. 1 in West Region in USTFCCCA/NCAA DII RankingsFor the second week in a row, Stanislaus State women's cross country is ranked No. 16 in the NCAA Division II national poll released Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
- Warriors Open Fall Season at ITA West RegionalThe Stan State women's tennis team opens its fall season this week, traveling to La Mirada, Calif., to participate in the 2025 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) West Regional September 25-26 at the Biola Tennis Center on the campus of Biola University.
- Back-to-Back Shutouts Earn Stanislaus State’s Angel Ruiz-Hernandez FloCollege/CCAA Defensive Player of the Week HonorsSenior goalkeeper Angel Ruiz-Hernandez has been named the FloCollege/California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for September 15–21 after recording back-to-back shutouts. The honor marks the second consecutive week a Stanislaus State Warrior has received the conference's defensive award, as the No. 2-ranked Warriors remain undefeated at 6-0 and stand among just six unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II.
