By MCKENZIE GERNES/Murphy News Service

The University of Minnesota women’s soccer team was ranked No. 18 Tuesday, after previously not being ranked.

The ranking puts Minnesota in front of historically strong soccer schools such as Duke, University of Connecticut and the University of Arizona. The University of Virginia and University of North Carolina hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. There are 25 schools ranked in the NSCAA NCAA Division I category.

The Gophers have two wins against Big Ten conference opponents this fall, Ohio State and Penn State. The team holds a record of 7-1-2 overall and is 2-0 in the conference. Gophersports.com reported that the last time the Gophers were on top of the Big Ten was when they won the conference crown in 2008.

ESPNW Soccer Player of the Week also featured Gophers captain Simone Kolander. Kolander says the team’s chemistry has been a huge contributor to the team’s success this year.

“We all work for each other, believe in each other, and are closer as a team than we’ve ever been,” she said.

Kolander attributed key factors for success that are different from last season. “We’ve been focusing on possession and playing out of the back more and that’s definitely helped us keep the ball more and create more opportunities.”

An upcoming game against the Wisconsin Badgers is one Kolander says will be one of their toughest competitors. The game takes place in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday, Oct. 2.

Reporter McKenzie Gernes is a journalism student at the University of Minnesota.