24. Louisville - The Cardinals secured their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tourney last year. The really good news is that the Louisville attack will again be led by forwards Colin Rolfe (10g, 2a) and Mark Knight (7g, 6a). Sophomore Paolo DelPiccolo, junior Kenny Walker and senior J.T. Murray are among returning midfielders.

25. Charlotte - Jeremy Gunn has instilled a work ethic at Charlotte that is paying dividends on both sides of the ball. The 49ers turned a big corner last year when they returned to the NCAA Tourney. Forward Evan James (7g, 5a) and midfielder Jennings Rex are playmakers. Isaac Cowles and Charles Rodriguez are dynamic defenders.

26. Bucknell - The Bison can hang with the big boys. Forward Brendan Burgdorf (9g, 2a) is among those who will fill the void in scoring that exists due to the loss of All-American Conor O’Brien (11g, 9a). Eight starters are back including midfielder Ross Liberati, defender Andrew Powell and keeper Tommy Caso from the 2009 team that was 17-6-0.

27. Princeton - Hold that Tiger! Nine starters are back from the 2009 squad that put the Tigers back in the NCAA Tourney for the first time since 2001. Forwards Antoine Hoppenot (10g, 2a) and Matt Sanner (4g, 5a) and midfielder Josh Walburn (6g, 5a) provide offensive firepower. Ben Burton and Mark Linnville will anchor the backline.

28. Sacramento State - The Hornets earned a school record twelve wins in 2009 and the program’s first ever invite to the NCAA Tourney. A solid nucleus returns including senior midfielders Ernesto Carranza (6g, 6a) and Fernando Cabadas (1g, 9a), senior defender Diego Marroquin and super sophomore forward Max Alverez (10g, 8a). Their early schedule is brutal.

29. Green Bay - The Phoenix took their game to a higher level last year winning the Horizon League Championship and earning a berth in the NCAA Tourney. Plenty of ability returns beginning with All-American J.C. Banks (13g, 10 a). Midfielder Tony Walls will set the pace. David Prochazka and goalkeeper Ryan Wehking will be the heart of the defense.

30. Evansville - The fifth year of the Mike Jacobs era at Evansville is ready to get under way. Jacobs has rekindled a winning tradition at Evansville but an NCAA Tourney berth has eluded the Purple Aces. That should change in 2010. Nine starters return led by seniors Tom Irvin and Robby Lynch Junior Justin Sass is among a solid group of defenders.

Text Box: 2010 Pre-Season Top 30 Poll National Rankings

23. Portland - Midfielder Collen Warner (9g, 7a) will be hard to replace, but the athletic and soccer savvy Pilots will have a very good blend of experience and talent in 2010. Seven starters return. Seniors Jarad vanSchaik (6g, 8a) and Luke Ryan (7g, 2a) will electrify the attack. Senior goalkeeper Austin Guerrero is the boss between the pipes.

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Text Box: CSN Pre-Season Top Thirty Rankings Akron North Carolina Maryland Virginia Tulsa UC Santa Barbara Wake Forest UCLA Monmouth Ohio State Boston College St. John’s South Florida Stanford Duke Penn State UNC Wilmington Northwestern Michigan State UC Irvine Indiana Connecticut Portland Louisville Charlotte Bucknell Princeton Sacramento State Green Bay Evansville