KANSAS CITY – The Slippery Rock University men's soccer team moved up two places from 13th spot in the preseason rankings to No. 11 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Hendrickcars.com NCAA Division II poll released Tuesday.

The No. 11 ranking matches the highest ranking in the program's history, which was a one-week stay at No. 11 toward the end of the season last year. The Rock finished 13th in the final poll of the 2009 season and remained 13th in the preseason rankings.

Slippery Rock, under the direction of first-year head coach Michael Bonelli, opened the 2010 season with a 2-1 win over Washington Adventist and a 1-1 draw with the University of Charleston (W.Va.), ranked sixth in this week's rankings.

Charleston tops the Atlantic Region rankings, followed by SRU in second. The Rock's opponent Wednesday, Millersville, ranks third in the region and 18th in the nation.

Millersville and Slippery Rock will open the 2010 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference schedule with a 4 p.m. match Wednesday at Thompson Stadium. The last meeting between the two programs came in last season's PSAC Championship game, a 2-1 win for The Rock.

Millersville and Slippery Rock's women's teams will square off before the men, beginning at 2 p.m.


NSCAA/Hendrickcars.com National Rankings – Week 1
* 2010 Rock opponents

1. Le Moyne (N.Y.)
2. Cal State Los Angeles
T3. Midwestern State (Texas)
T3. Colorado Mines
5. Lynn (Fla.)
6. Charleston (W. Va.) *
7. Northern Kentucky
T8. Southern New Hampshire
T8. Flagler (Fla.)
10. Cal State San Bernardino
11. Slippery Rock (Pa.)
12. Wingate (N.C.)
13. Incarnate Word (Texas)
14. Franklin Pierce (N.H.)
15. Barry (Fla.)
16. Fort Lewis (Colo.)
17. Ashland (Ohio) *
18. Millersville (Pa.) *
19. Cal State Dominguez Hills
20. Metro State (Colo.)
21. Montevallo (Ala.)
22. Saint Leo (Fla.)
23. Bellarmine (Ky.)
24. West Texas A&M
25. Sonoma State (Calif.)


NSCAA/Hendrickcars.com Regional Rankings - Week 1
* 2010 Rock opponents

1. Charleston *
2. Slippery Rock
3. Millersville *
4. Mercyhurst *
5. Wheeling Jesuit *
6. East Stroudsburg *
7. West Chester *
8. California (Pa.) *
9. West Virginia Wesleyan *
10. Pittsburgh-Johnstown