Dec. 12, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State's men's and women's soccer teams have both received the NSCAA Academic Award after posting a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher for the 2006-07 academic year. PSU was one of 73 schools across all three Divisions, and one of only 29 Division I schools, to earn the honor. Penn State was one of only two Big Ten institutions to have both programs included, with Northwestern being the other.
Two-time Academic All-American Conrad Taylor |
Penn State's women's team, coached by Erica Walsh, posted a 3.24, while Barry Gorman's men's squad achieved a 3.19 as a team. The women's team was one of seven Big Ten women's squads honored out of the 11 league programs. The men's squad was one of two Big Ten teams on the list and one of only 41 Division I programs to receive the honor. Overall, 411 teams (113 men's, 298 women's) across three divisions were recognized out of the more then 1700 NCAA teams that sponsor soccer programs.
The Penn State men's soccer team overcame a plague of injuries to several star players in 2007 to finish fourth in the Big Ten and fall just short of qualifying for the NCAA Championship. Senior goalkeeper Conrad Taylor (Colorado Springs, Colo.), a two-time Academic All-American, ended his brilliant career a starter of 83 consecutive contests and ranked No. 3 on Penn State's all-time shutouts list. Despite missing the final seven games of the 2007 campaign, junior forward Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.), an Academic ESPN the Magazine All-District First Team selection, was named first team All-Big Ten.
Penn State's women's squad captured its 10th consecutive Big Ten title this past season. In their 13th-straight NCAA appearances, Walsh's squad went all the way to the NCAA third round. Sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher (Seymour, Conn.) received Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year accolades, marking the 10th Penn Stater to grab Big Ten Player of the Year honors. Six Nittany Lions earned All-Big Ten this year, and forward Aubrey Aden-Buie (Allentown, Pa.) and midfielder Zoe Bouchelle (Cockeysville, Md.) both earned ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America honors. The Nittany Lions finished 12th in the NSCAA's final poll this year, giving them a Top 15 finish wach of the past 11 years.
--NITTANY LIONS--