Saddleback finishes ranked #1 in the nation

The Saddleback College women's soccer team had a function on campus on Thursday to celebrate a state title this past weekend in Sacramento.  Previous to arriving, the Bobcats found out they were ranked the No. 1 team in the nation by the United Soccer Coaches.

Saddleback finished 21-2-3 in 2022 and defeated Chaffey College, 2-0, on Sunday in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) state championship game.  The Bobcats finished in a tie in the rankings with Dallas College-Brookhaven (TX), who won the NJCAA DIII national championship with a win over Mohawk Valley College (NY) in Herkimer, New York. 

Saddleback's opponent in the California state championship game, Chaffey College, finished third in the national rankings.  San Joaquin Delta College, who the Bobcats beat in the state semifinals, finished sixth in the national rankings.

The United Soccer Coaches was founded in 1941 and is world's largest soccer coaches organization and serves members at every level of the game.  They have 10 polls during the course of the season, updating the rankings weekly.  Saddleback started the season at No. 7 in the national rankings and was ranked No. 4 coming into the final rankings of the season.  A win over top-ranked Santiago Canyon College in the Southern California Regional Finals vaulted them into the conversation and back-to-back wins over top-10 programs in the state tournament cemented their fate.

The 21 wins by Saddleback eclipsed a program-record of 19 wins set in 2021.  The Bobcats also set a record for goals in a season with 87.