Jan. 22, 2002

Notre Dame, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s and women’s soccer teams each were recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) with the NSCAA/adidas College Team Academic Award for exceptional performance as a team during the 2000-01 academic year. Notre Dame was one of 36 institutions whose men’s and women’s teams earned that distinction. The award, which was presented Jan. 17 at the 2002 NSCAA Convention, honors teams with a 3.00 cumulative grade point average or higher.

The men’s soccer team earns the award for the third consecutive year as the Irish had 12 players earn Dean’s List distinction during both the 2000-01 spring and fall semesters after a compiling cumulative 3.205 in the 2000 fall semester and 3.192 in the spring of 2001. In addition, Notre Dame had 12 players from its 2000 squad on the BIG EAST Academic All-Star Team for the ”00-’01 school year.

The women’s soccer team was recognized with the award for the first time in the history of its program. Twelve players earned Dean’s List distinction in the fall as the team compiled a 3.205 cumulative grade point average during that semester. In addition, the Irish had 15 players selected to the Dean’s List in the spring in compiling an overall team grade index of 3.302 during that semester. Overall, Notre Dame had 18 team members who were selected to the BIG EAST Academic All-Star Team last year.

Defender Vanessa Pruzinsky (Trumbell, Conn.), who owns a cumulative 4.00 cumulative grade point average, highlighted the ’00-’01 school year with her selection as a first-team Verizon Academic All-America honoree, the seventh time that an Irish women’s soccer player has earned Academic All-America honors.