Nov. 18, 2009
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame senior midfielder Michael Thomas (Olathe, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas) has earned third-team Academic All-America honors from ESPN the Magazine and the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Thomas becomes the seventh player in program history to be selected as a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
Thomas has started all 21 games this season in the central midfield for the Fighting Irish. He has a team-high six assists to go along with six goals, which rank second among all Irish players. Thomas, a three-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star, boasts a 3.445 cumulative grade-point average as a psychology major in Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters.
At the annual BIG EAST men’s soccer awards banquet on Nov. 12, Thomas garnered first-team all-conference accolades. Thomas, a two-time team captain, was named to the BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team on Sunday as he helped the Irish to a runner-up finish in the event.
Last season, Thomas led all BIG EAST midfielders in scoring with 21 points on eight goals and five assists en route to earning second-team all-conference honors. He also received second-team All-Great Lakes Region accolades. For his career, the Kansas native has started 79 of the 81 matches in which he has played. He has compiled 51 points on 19 goals and 13 assists.
Thomas joins six former Notre Dame student-athletes with the honor of being an Academic All-American. Matt Besler earned the distinction last season, while Ryan Miller was tabbed in 2007 and John Stephens was selected in 2005. Phil Murphy (1999), Ryan Turner (1997) and Chris Dean (1995) also have received the honor.
Thomas and the Fighting Irish will begin NCAA Championship play with a first round tilt on Thursday against Green Bay. Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Alumni Stadium.
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