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Some Nebraska girls soccer teams have taken to heart the cliché, "You've got to beat the best to be the best." And while some programs have met that theory with plenty of success, most have not.
As we dove into our Nebraska girls soccer computer rankings Tuesday, and sifted through the strength of schedule data, we discovered that some of the Cornhusker State's premier girls soccer programs play schedules that match their level of play.
Bellevue West (9-10), Nebraska's 15th best squad according to the MaxPreps Computer Rankings, played the top girls soccer schedule in the state this season when you look at the MaxPreps strength of schedule average, followed by fourth-ranked Omaha Westside (13-5) and No. 21 Lincoln Pius X (7-9).
Besides Bellevue West and Omaha Westside, five other schools in this week's Top 10 have played their way into Nebraska's Top 15 rankings, regardless of class. Millard West (13-3), the state's third-ranked squad has played the fourth most difficult schedule, while Millard South (12-5), Omaha Marian (16-2), Millard North (15-2) and Papillion-LaVista sit seventh, second, first and 11th in Tuesday's girls soccer rankings, respectively.
Millard South and Omaha Marian actually tied for the No. 5 spot in this week's Top 10, but the Patriots won the tie-breaker because South's opposition put together a better winning percentage collectively than Marian's foes. Lincoln Pius X's competition put together the top opposition win percentage of the teams sitting in this week's Top 10 with a collective winning percentage of .676. Gretna is the only Class B squad in this week's Top 10 after the Dragons played the 10th toughest schedule in 2016-17.
Listed next to each team in the Top 10 is the team's won-loss record in parentheses, its opposition's combined won-loss records and the team's strength of schedule rating.
Nebraska's Top 10 toughest girls soccer schedules
Pius X and Papillion-LaVista each rank among the toughest Nebraska girls soccer schedules.
Photo by Samuel Mfinanga
1.
Bellevue West (9-10), 214-118, 12.1
2.
Omaha Westside (13-5), 193-116, 11.7
3.
Pius X (Lincoln) (7-9), 184-88, 11.3
4.
Millard West (Omaha) (13-3), 167-114, 10.8
5.
Millard South (Omaha) (12-5), 168-124, 10.0
6.
Marian (Omaha) (16-2), 174-137, 10.0
7.
Millard North (Omaha) (15-2), 165-124, 9.7
8.
Papillion-LaVista (Papillion) (11-6), 172-122, 9.3
9.
Burke (Omaha) (6-14), 198-145, 8.7
10.
Gretna (10-6), 175-95, 7.1
