Men’s Soccer Gains No. 7 National Ranking

The Hartnell Men’s Soccer team achieved a nationwide No. 7 ranking in a new United Soccer Coaches top 20 poll released on Sept. 14.

The Panthers ranked behind just two California college teams, Folsom Lake and El Camino, and ahead of Mount San Antonio and American River.

Hartnell’s ranking in the Junior College Division III level was its highest mark since 2013, when the team finished with a No. 2 ranking after winning the state CCCAA (California Community Colleges Athletics Association) title.

Head Coach Daniel Ortega credited the national attention from USC coaches to the Panthers’ 4-2 defeat of perennial power Fresno City College on Sept. 4 (pictured), a game marked by Hartnell’s high-speed offense.

“Beating Fresno in such a convincing fashion made a big statement,” he said. “For the last few years, the road to the Final Four has always gone through Fresno.”

Ortega acknowledged that “it’s still very early” in the 2021 campaign, with an eight-game conference schedule set to start on the road at De Anza on Sept. 28.

“Teams will get better, especially in our conference. That’s what we are working for now,” he said. “We still have a lot of work to do, but we are off to a good start, and the team is believing in what we are trying to accomplish.”