Bucknell University Athletics
Bonotto, Nelson Named to Women's Soccer Academic All-Patriot League Team
11/5/2014 4:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell women's soccer team is still alive in the postseason, and on Wednesday senior defenders Hannah Bonotto and Courtney Nelson earned two of the 11 spots on the Academic All-Patriot League Team. Bonotto received the honor for the second straight year, while Nelson is a first-time selection.
Nelson was named to the All-Patriot League Second Team earlier this week, her second career all-league citation, and now she has the academic honor to go with it. The Phoenix, Arizona, native is a neuroscience major with a 3.76 cumulative grade-point average. Nelson interned last summer at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Last semester she did research on alcohol addiction for her behavioral neuroscience course, and she is also investigating the history and cultural significance of two utopian communities that attempted with develop along the Susquehanna River in the 1890s. Nelson presented that research to the Chesapeake Bay Conservancy and to local river enthusiasts and historical societies.
A two-year team co-captain, Nelson has been a force for the Bison, both defensively from her right back position and as an offensive facilitator. She has recorded three assists this season, and in 71 career games she has six goals and 12 assists.
A three-year starting center back, Bonotto is a civil engineering major with a 3.78 GPA. She earned a Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award earlier this season, and she scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in Bucknell's 2-1 victory over Army on Tuesday night in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals.
Off the field, Bonotto is a member of several honor societies and serves as president of the Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society. She was also named to the Mortar Board National College Honor Society as a senior in the top third of her class, as well as the Tau Beta Pi Honor Society, which recognizes the top one-eighth of all senior engineering majors.
Bonotto interned with Reiser Building Group in Santa Clara, California, last summer, and she has served as a teaching assistant and peer tutor within the Bucknell engineering program. She represents the women's soccer team on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and she is president of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Bucknell.
Bucknell and Boston University were the only schools to place two members on the 2014 Women's Soccer Academic All-Patriot League Team. Colgate's Caroline Brawner was selected as the Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
The Bison are 10-8-2 overall and seeded fifth in the Patriot League Tournament. The Bison will travel to Colgate on Friday for a 5 p.m. semifinal matchup with the tournament's No. 1 seed. No. 2 Boston University and No. 3 Navy will meet in the other semifinal contest.
Bucknell is gunning for its first Patriot League title in women's soccer since 2005.
