North Central College women's soccer cracked the national rankings for the first time this season, debuting at No. 18 in the initial 2026 Division III coaches poll.

The Cardinals opened the year 4-0, beating then-No. 16 Carleton College 1-0 and then-No. 17 Calvin University 4-0 along the way. The Intercollegiate Women's Soccer Organization for Coaches (IWSOC) and United Soccer Coaches (USC) released the first Top 25 on Tuesday, Sept. 15, with Washington University in St. Louis sitting atop the poll at 5-0.

Senior Jordan Lange, a Metea Valley High School product who led the Mustangs to their first state championship as a junior, is driving the offense. Through four games she has 15 points on five goals and three assists. She leads all active Division III players with 114 career points and is tied for the D-III lead with 30 career assists. Across all NCAA divisions, Lange ranks fourth in points per game at 1.81.

In a 2023 NCTV17 feature on Lange's freshman season, head coach Andrew Gamarra called her a team-first player. "We were fortunate to get Jordan, but I think that one thing that makes her special is that she's bought into the program, and she's bought into her teammates' success. I think that's what makes her a standout," Gamarra said.

The defense has been just as dominant. Goalkeeper Lily Mattison, the 2025 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Goalkeeper of the Year, has anchored three consecutive shutouts. The Cardinals have allowed one goal all season, posting a .250 goals-against average that ranks 19th nationally and first in the CCIW.

Senior defender Lauren Richards earned the CCIW Defensive Player of the Week for Sept. 7–13 after the Cardinals shut out Calvin 4-0 and Centre College 3-0. Richards, a senior from Elmhurst, has played all but seven minutes across four matches this season. The NCC athletics department said it was the first weekly honor of her career.

Richards has appeared in 42 career matches, starting 36, and helped the program win back-to-back CCIW tournament titles and last year's regular-season crown.

In the Region VIII poll, the Cardinals sit third behind Washington University and the University of Chicago. Three other CCIW programs made the regional top eight: Carthage at No. 6, Elmhurst University at No. 7 and Illinois Wesleyan University at No. 8.

The next major test comes Sept. 30 when the Cardinals face UChicago, ranked No. 4 nationally and No. 2 in Region VIII.