March 24, 2000

FURMAN WOMEN'S SOCCER FINISHES 25TH IN RPI

GREENVILLE, SC -- The Furman women's soccer team finished the 1999 season ranked 25th in the nation in the RPI computer rankings released recently by the NCAA.

The RPI is one of the main measurements used by the NCAA for selecting tournament participants. Last season, Furman earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Southern Conference Tournament and was awarded a first round home match. The Lady Paladins finished the season 20-3 and also won the Southern Conference regular season title with a perfect 9-0 league mark.

The RPI figures Division I winning percentage, opponents success, opponents strength of schedule, and road success when determining the total RPI. Furman placed fifth in the nation in winning percentage and had the ninth-best road record in the country.

The ranking is the highest in the six year history of the Furman women's soccer program. The Southern Conference was positioned as the 16th-best conference in the nation out of 30 Division I conferences. Davidson was the only other conference school in the top 100 as the Wildcats placed 77th.

"I am pleased to see that the improvements of our program and the Southern Conference is beginning to show in these rankings," said head coach Brian Lee. "I know the competition in the Southern Conference will continue to increase as we aim to continue to improve and establish Furman as a consistent Top 25 women's soccer program."