FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WINTHROP, Mass. – A total of 782 soccer teams (293 men, 489 women) posted a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher, thereby earning the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 2017-18 academic year, it was announced by the organization on Thursday.
Of that total, 198 schools had both their men's and women's programs recognized, including the Great Northeast Athletic Conference's Suffolk University. The Rams women posted a 3.50 GPA under head coach Darren Lloyd, while head coach James Boden's men's program (pictured) had a collective 3.16 GPA.
On the women's side, Emmanuel College (3.43, Dan Campagna), Regis College (3.53, Mike Webber), Simmons College (3.64, Erica Schuling) joined Suffolk among the 2017-18 honored teams from the GNAC.
Along with Suffolk on the men's side, Saint Joseph's College of Maine was also recognized for its 3.26 GPA under head coach Adrian Dubois. In addition to excelling inside the classroom, the Monks are currently ranked sixth in the country according to the latest D3soccer.com national poll and 15th in the most recent US Soccer Coaches poll.
The United Soccer Coaches annually celebrates the academic achievements of high school and college soccer teams whose student-athletes collectively demonstrate a commitment to excellence in their studies over the course of a full academic year. College Team Academic Award recipients are active members of the United Soccer Coaches College Services Program with a composite grade point average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for all players on the roster.
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
– #TheGNAC –