MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University men’s soccer team earned an NSCAA Team Academic Award for its team grade point average for the 2008-09 academic year, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) announced today.

The Mountaineers, who earn the award for the second-straight season, are one of 141 soccer teams in all divisions to have earned at least a 3.0 GPA. By earning a 3.36 grade-point average, WVU held the highest GPA in the BIG EAST Conference and fourth-best mark among the 65 Division I institutions that received the award.

"Our guys have shown a tremendous amount of commitment to their academics,” coach Marlon LeBlanc says. “Thanks to the efforts of our athletic department, from Athletic Director Ed Pastilong, to Associate Athletic Director Garrett Ford and especially our team advisor, Ehren Green, our team has been able to achieve success both on and off the field. WVU's commitment to our student-athletes’ academic success is the reason our guys continue to excel in the classroom."

WVU finished the 2009 campaign with a 7-5-6 overall mark, going 6-3-2 in the BIG EAST and taking third in the league’s Blue Division. Four players earned all-BIG EAST honors: redshirt junior Zach Johnson (second team), senior Gift Maworere (third team) and freshmen Abel “Shadow” Sebele and Eric Schoenle (all-rookie team). Schoenle picked up an additional award, as he was named to TopDrawerSoccer’s all-Rookie first team.

Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown and the WVU women’s team also won an NSCAA Team Academic Award, making West Virginia one of 97 schools in all divisions to have men’s and women’s teams honored.

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