By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Two wins this past weekend have helped the Willamette University Bearcats move up to #8 in this week's NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Coaches Poll released by the United Soccer Coaches on Tuesday, Oct. 25. The Bearcats are still #1 in Region X of Division III. Willamette shut out George Fox University 2-0 on Friday, Oct. 21 and defeated Pacific University 3-1 on Sunday, Oct. 23. The wins elevated WU's record to 12-1-2 overall.

The Bearcats sit at the top of the NWC standings with a 10-1-0 record (30 points). Three points are awarded for each win and one point is earned for each tie. Pacific Lutheran University is in second place at 8-3-0 (24 points), while Whitman College holds third place at 7-3-1 (22 points). Three games remain in the regular season.

In the current NCAA Division III National Poll, the University of Chicago (Ill.) remained at #1 with a 14-0-0 record, the only undefeated and untied mark in the poll. Messiah University (Pa.) stayed at #2 with a 15-0-1 mark, while Kenyon College (Ohio) held at #3 with a 14-0-1 record. The #4 team was Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.) with a 14-0-2 record, while Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) advanced three positions to #5 at 11-0-4.

Bowdoin College (Maine) jumped eight spots from #14 up to #6 with an 11-1-2 record. Washington & Lee University (Va.) rose four spots to #7 at 11-1-4. Willamette advanced five positions to #8 with its 12-1-2 mark. The #9 ranking went to Franklin & Marshall College (Pa.), which improved from #19 a week ago to #9 this week at 11-1-3. Amherst College (Mass.) was #10 at 8-1-5 after holding the #16 ranking last week.

Willamette was one of two teams from Region X in the Top 25. The other team was Pacific Lutheran with a 13-3-0 overall record at #23. The Lutes were ranked #20 a week ago, but lost at Whitman College 2-1 on Saturday, Oct. 22.

The Bearcats have scored 43 goals this season, while allowing just 16 goals. Pierce Gallaway (Sr., M, Carmel, CA/Carmel HS) of Willamette leads the NWC with 11 goals and 1.80 points per game (27 in 15 games). He also has five assists.

Jett Starr (Jr., F, Portland, OR/Cleveland HS) is second in the WU scoring chart with six goals, two assists, and 14 points. Sean Kim (Jr., F, Sunnyvale, CA/Homestead HS) has contributed four goals and four assists for 12 points. Goalkeeper Pierluca Carnovale (Jr., GK, Seattle, WA/Ballard HS) owns an 11-1-2 record to go along with a 1.09 goals against average and 37 shutouts.

Willamette remained atop the Region X rankings. Pacific Lutheran continued at #2, while the University of St. Thomas (Texas) jumped two spots from #5 to #3 with an 11-1-3 record. Chapman University (Calif.) stayed at #4 with a 9-1-5 record. Occidental College (Calif.) slipped three spots down to #6 at 9-3-2. Colorado College held at #7 with an 8-2-4 mark. Concordia University Texas, 9-3-3 on the season, moved into the Regional X rankings at #8.

The Bearcats will take on Pacific Lutheran University in a key NWC matchup on Saturday, Oct. 29 in Tacoma, Washington. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. (PDT). Willamette is scheduled to battle the University of Puget Sound on Sunday, Oct. 30 in Tacoma, starting at 2:30 p.m.