By Kristie Schiefer
Assistant News Editor
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) honored the St. Bonaventure women’s soccer team with the Collegiate Team Academic Award for its collective academic excellence .
The Bonnies earned the award by achieving a team grade point average of 3.40. Men’s and women’s programs across all levels of the NCAA and NAIA that garnered a grade point average of 3.0 or better qualified for the award, according to a Nov. 20 gobonnies.com news release. According to Jason MacBain, sports information director, about 400 teams all across the divisions earned the award based solely on the cumulative grade point averages.
“This award means a lot to our team and speaks a lot to our dedication not only to soccer, but to our academics as well,” said captain Jennifer Andrews. “We pride ourselves on striving for the best on and off the field, and I think this award goes to show how hard we work. I think that we were all very excited, honored, and proud when we found out we got the award.”
This year’s NSCAA team award marks the sixth straight season the women have been honored, including last year when they produced a 3.41 grade point average, according to the news release.
Even with traveling and workload, the women found a way to juggle both.
“I think that one of the biggest keys to success while working and traveling was the regimented schedules our coaches had for us,” Andrews said. “We always had dedicated study hall hours that were mandatory which kept us on top of our studies even on the road. Even on away trips on the bus, girls were frequently studying, writing papers on their computers, or reading to make up for the work being missed or in preparation for their classes. The time management of all our free time really made an impact while traveling.”
The team also advanced to the Atlantic 10 Championship tournament this month for the fifth straight year, posing another time management hurdle for the girls.
“It was really awesome how we were able to make such a great conference run and return to the A10 Championship. Doing that took a lot of time and energy from everyone as we dedicated a lot of time to our success on the field,” Andrews said. “I think that our team still achieving this award in spite of the time and effort put forth into winning on the field is a true testament to the caliber of players on our team. We know what it takes to succeed in the classroom as well, and as teammates we are always willing to help each other out in our classes.”
Whether their head is in the game or in their books, the women always strive to be the best.
“We hold ourselves to a high standard when it comes to our success on the field and in the classroom so this award allows us to prove to our school, community, and family that we are truly dedicated student-athletes,” Andrews said.
schiefkm10@bonaventure.edu
