HICKORY, N.C. - The Lenoir-Rhyne women's soccer team is ranked eighth in the first official United Soccer Coaches Poll. This is the same ranking the Bears had in the inaugural preseason poll.

Lenoir-Rhyne currently sports a 1-1 record, falling to Tampa 2-1 in the season opener before taking down Concord 5-0 in dominant fashion on Sunday. Tampa, who was unranked at the time, moved up to No. 15 in the polls after defeating No. 12 Catawba 3-1 on Sunday. 

In just two games the Bears have already showed extreme balance in the lineup, as nine individuals have registered a point. Alexis Cagno is the lone Bear with two goals, scoring in both the loss to Tampa and the win against Concord. 

Lenoir-Rhyne faces off against Francis Marion tomorrow in a battle of two of the top teams in the region. The Patriots are 1-0 after defeating USC Aiken 4-1 last Thursday. Francis Marion took down the Bears 1-0 in Hickory last year, eventually advancing to the NCAA Division II Tournament in a season that saw them go 17-3. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Florence, South Carolina.