Nov. 12, 2002
Notre Dame sophomore women’s soccer player Mary Boland (Hudson, Ohio) has been named to the Verizon Academic All-District V team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. With her selection to the 11-player team, Boland now qualifies for the 2002 women’s soccer Academic All-America ballot (that team will be announced in late November).
Boland – a psychology major who entered the 2002 fall semester with a 3.85 cumulative grade-point average – is a versatile player who formally was named to the All-Academic team as a defender (she earlier made starts at forward and currently is starting in the defensive midfield, after also playing at left back). One of just two sophomores named to the Academic All-District team, Boland heads into the NCAAs as Notre Dame’s fourth-leading goalscorer (5G-0A). Her 2002 season highlights include a diving header to beat Seton Hall (1-0) and key defensive play in wins over Rutgers (1-0) and then-#8 Connecticut (3-1).
The Notre Dame women’s soccer team produced nine Academic All-American selections from 1995-2001, including two in both 2000 and ’01. Current senior defender Vanessa Pruzinsky – who became just the second Notre Dame student-athlete ever named a first team Academic All-American as a sophomore and a junior – was not eligible for consideration this year due to her season-ending ankle injury (she owns a 4.0 GPA as a chemical engineering major).
Other defenders named to the 2002 Academic all-District V team include Indiana junior Carly Everett (3.92, criminal justice/psychology), Illinois senior Rebecca Johnson (3.43, recreation) and Eastern Illinois junior Rebecca Traen (3.85, communication disorders).
Forwards named to the team include EIU junior Beth Liesen (3.34, education), Butler senior Amy Morrison (3.45, pharmacy) and Minnesota junior Rachel Roth (3.28, undeclared). The three midfielders on the team are Butler senior Kristen Drogell (3.94, biology), Ball State sophomore Dee Nocero (3.68, telecommunications) and Wisconsin-Green Bay senior Anne Rowe (3.83, communications/English). Indiana State junior Carey Patton (3.51, nursing) is the goalkeeper on the Academic All-District V team.