WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University men's and women's soccer teams, known for their excellence on the field, have also been having excellent seasons in the classroom.
Both squads were honored by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) with their 2014-15 Team Academic Award. The award is given to teams that boast a cumulative grade-point average of better than 3.0 at the end of the previous year.
The Brandeis women were honored for the sixth year in a row, boasting a team GPA of 3.44. For the Brandeis men, it was their third-straight year on the list with a team GPA of 3.31.
In addition to the academic recognition for the team, each squad also had an individual earn Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
For the men, senior midfielder Jake Picard of Suffield, Conn., earned honors from CoSIDA for the second year in a row. He owns a 3.73 grade-point average as a double major in Health: Science, Society and Policy and psychology. Picard was named University Athletic Association Player of the Week earlier this season, when he scored game-winning goals in three-straight contests. As a junior he was a first-team All-UAA and fourth-team All-New England player.
CoSIDA Academic All-District honors are selected by regional sports information directors. Brandeis's District 1 includes Massachusets, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. Both Picard and Schachter are now eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
Both Brandeis teams own a 13-2-1 record this season. The men, in head coach Mike Coven's 43rd year, are 3-1 in the UAA and ranked No. 7 in Division III by D3soccer.com and No. 12 by the NSCAA.
The Judges are on the road this weekend for UAA play. They are at Emory on Friday (women at 4, men at 6:30) and the University of Rochester on Sunday (women at 11 a.m., men at 1:30 p.m.).
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