KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Four BIG EAST women’s soccer players were among the 37 recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America as Scholar All-Americans. BIG EAST co-regular-season champion DePaul landed a pair of honorees in Second Team selection Alexa Ben and Third Team pick Abby Reed. Coming off a run to the College Cup for the first time in program history, Georgetown’s Grace Damaska garnered Second Team recognition. Three-time BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year Diana Poulin out of St. John’s rounded out the list on the Third Team.
Ben and Reed become the fifth and sixth Blue Demons to be honored on an academic All-American team. Ben becomes the first dual All-American women’s soccer player in school history as the junior midfielder was named to the NSCAA All-America Second Team on Dec. 2. DePaul went 10-6-3 and won a share of the BIG EAST regular-season title before advancing to the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championship. Led by Ben and Reed, the Blue Demons were No. 9 in the country in scoring offense and No. 11 in points per game. They were also No. 27 in goals and No. 30 in total points. Ben is a public relations and advertising major with a 3.59 grade-point average, while Reed is a psychology major with a 3.72 GPA.
A three-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star selection, Damaska is an accounting major who carries a 3.37 GPA. In addition to being selected a Second Team Scholar All-American, Damaska was an NSCAA First Team Scholar All-East Region selection. Damaska, an All-BIG EAST First Team selection, finished second on the team with 33 points, including a team-leading 14 goals. She ranked tied for No. 20 in the country in goals scored and is tied for No. 34 in the country in total points (33). Her 14 goals scored are the second-most in a single season at Georgetown. Damaska is the second Georgetown player to earn Scholar All-American honors under Head Coach Dave Nolan, joining Emma Newins (C’15), who was on the 2014 team.
Poulin set the St. John’s career record for wins in the team’s 1-0 win over CCSU and earned 10 more victories throughout her senior campaign, finishing with 43 career victories. After St. John’s defeated Providence, 1-0, in the first round of the BIG EAST Championship, Poulin collected her 12th clean sheet of the season, setting a single-season program record. For her career, Poulin finished with 32 shutouts, tying Kristin Russell for most in the school’s history. She was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year for the third-straight season, becoming just the second player in conference history to win the award three times. Additionally, Poulin was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the NSCAA All-Northeast Region Second Team. The senior finance major shows a 3.57 GPA.
Student-athletes receiving Scholar All-America recognition at these levels meet the following criteria:
• 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) or better throughout career
• Start more than 50 percent of all games and significantly contribute to their team
• Nominated by head coach of current NSCAA College Services member institution
• Junior or above in academic standing; and, if a transfer student, in second year at school
NSCAA Scholar All-Americans
Second Team
Alexa Ben, DePaul, Jr., M (Public Relations & Advertising, 3.59)
Grace Damaska, Georgetown, Sr., F (Accounting, 3.37)
Third Team
Diana Poulin, St. John’s, Sr., GK (Finance, 3.57)
Abby Reed, DePaul, Sr., F (Psychology, 3.72)
For the complete list, click HERE.