Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Soccer Honored with NSCAA Team Academic Award
12/13/2006 7:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Dec. 13, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell women's soccer team was one of 232 squads nationally from Divisions I, II and III to receive a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Women's Team Academic Award, the association announced on Wednesday. The honor is presented annually to squads that post a team grade-point average of 3.0 or higher in the previous academic year.
With a GPA of 3.50 in 2005-06, the Bison were tied for 19th on the overall list, moving up 23 spots from a year ago when the Orange and Blue ranked 42nd out of 251 teams.
The Bison were sixth among the Division I teams that earned the award. Bucknell came in just behind DI programs Eastern Michigan and Western Illinois, which both posted 3.51 averages, while Central Michigan led the pack with a 3.73 GPA, followed by Toledo (3.63) and Western Carolina (3.52).
Out of that select group of Division I institutions, Bucknell is second to only Central Michigan in RPI ranking and grade-point average. The Chippewas were 86th in RPI according to the NCAA's recent report, while Bucknell took the 94th spot on the list, Toledo ranked 146th, Western Carolina 157th, Western Illinois 177th and Eastern Michigan 220th.
The Bison, the 2006 Patriot League Co-Regular Season Champions, matched program bests for overall and league win totals this season. With a record of 12-5-1 (6-1-0 PL), the Orange and Blue also posted the highest winning percentage in program history at .735 and were ranked in the final NSCAA and SoccerBuzz Mid-Atlantic regional polls.
