After coming into pre-season unranked, the El Camino College men’s soccer team is off to its best start in the last four years and continues to move up in the weekly community college national rankings, according to official reports.

ECC’s Warriors (6-0-1) were ranked No. 8 in the country, according to the fourth iteration of the United Soccer Coaches National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III men’s soccer poll. The rankings committee responsible for the weekly rankings of junior college soccer teams spans the country, consisting of members from Utica, New York to San Antonio, Texas.

“We have some really good character-type guys in the group this year which goes a long way in terms of players learning the process, players learning the system, players being coachable,” Warriors second-year head coach Michael Jacobson said. “It’s a lot of different factors adding up to being successful this year.”

The 2019 season marked a clean slate for Jacobson, who arrived at ECC last year after years of working with the California State University, Los Angeles men’s soccer program.

In 2016, two years before Jacobson, the Warriors finished the season with a .100 win percentage. However, during his first season in 2018, Jacobson coached the Warriors to a .500 win percentage, falling just short of a playoff spot.

“We have a lot of players that just want to win,” Warriors midfielder Armando Alonzo said.

The Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) men’s soccer team, boasting a seven-game win streak, has remained No. 1 in the polls over the last three weeks, with Cerritos College trailing at No. 4.

The Warriors will play Cerritos College Friday, Oct. 11 and Mt. SAC Tuesday, Nov. 5, their last regular season game.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to correct minor grammar mistakes, Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 1:16 p.m.