SAN DIEGO — University of San Diego Men's soccer is finding success on the pitch again, but this time, it is one of the highest-ranked teams in the country.
The Toreros are the fourth-ranked team in NCAA Division 1 men's soccer, their highest ranking in over two decades. In 2003, they were ranked third in the nation. If the Toreros keep winning this season, they could top that ranking in the coming weeks.
The team is 10-1-2 on the year and coming off a big conference win this past Saturday against Oregon State.
The Toreros now control their destiny with four games to claim their third West Coast Conference regular season title in a row.
This team is also well on its way to making the NCAA Tournament three seasons in a row.
Head coach Brian Quinn was surprised by the team's success this season. The team lost a few key players from last season.
"There are so many factors in reaching the top 25," he said. "It's not something we planned on, but we did plan on being competitive from the get-go."
The players are proud of all the success they have brought to the team in recent years.
"Our freshman year, we came into a 2-15 team, and we flipped the script really quick," Toreros forward Samy Kanaan said. "The belief in each other pushed us to get this far.
This team is not satisfied with being a top team in the country in the regular season. They were also bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year. They are driven to reach the pinnacle of sports.
"I think our end goal is to make it to the finals of the NCAA Cup and be able to win it.," USD goalkeeper Donovan Parisian. "I think that's in our reach with the team and depth we have. We could go all the way this year."
The Toreros are back in action on Wednesday night against San Francisco at 7 p.m. It will be streamed on ESPN+.