TOWSON, Md. ? After being ranked 15^th in the nation last season with a final 15-2-3 record, the Tiger men's soccer team is ranked in the pre-season for the first time ever. The Tigers have been ranked 23^rd in the nation by COLLEGE SOCCER NEWS.

The Tigers, who won the 2006 Colonial Athletic Association regular season title with a 10-0-1 record, earned an at-large bid to the NCAA College Cup. After receiving a first-round bye, the Tigers beat Fairfield, 2-0. But, they dropped a 2-1 verdict to second-seeded Wake Forest in the round of 16.

"Being nationally-ranked in the preseason is a reflection on the accomplishments of last season, but also a projection of what is possible this year,” says Coach Frank Olszewski, who was the CAA Coach of the Year in 2006. “We know there will be many challenges during the year, both out of conference and in the CAA. While it is an honor to be mentioned in the preseason national rankings, our ultimate goal is to be in the running for the CAA title and final national rankings."

The Tigers' NCAA Tournament loss to Wake Forest ended their 14-game unbeaten streak. The Tigers did not lose a game from September 10 to November 19, 2006.

An outstanding defensive team, the Tigers set a school record with 11 shutouts. The Tigers finished the season with a 0.62 Goals Against Average, eighth in NCAA Division I. The Tigers were ranked 15^th in the final NSCAA/adidas national poll. It marked the third time in 11 years that Towson has been ranked in the final Top 25 poll and it was their highest final ranking ever.

Senior Pat Healey (Calvert Hall H.S./Bel Air, Md.), a first team All-CAA selection last season, is one of eight returning starters for the Tigers. He was Towson's second-leading scorer with six goals and three assists as a junior.

Senior goalkeeper Billy Chiles (Springbrook H.S./Silver Spring, Md.) returns to lead the Tiger defense. Last season, he ranked second in the nation with a 0.33 Goals Against Average.

COLLEGE SOCCER NEWS PRE-SEASON TOP 30

 1- UCLA

2- Duke

3- UC Santa Barbara

4- Wake Forest

5- Santa Clara

6- Virginia

7- Southern Methodist

8- Indiana

9- Maryland

10- New Mexico

11- Notre Dame

12- St. John's

13- California

14- West Virginia

15- Harvard

16- Lehigh

17- Washington

18- Connecticut

19- Saint Louis

20- Northwestern

21- Creighton

22- Clemson

23- TOWSON

24- Rutgers

25- San Diego State

26- Northern Illinois

27- Old Dominion

28- UNC Greensboro

29- Rhode Island

30- Winthrop