FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 5, 2012
Student-athletes
recognized for
performances on the field and in the classroom
SOUTH EASTON, Mass. – Five student-athletes representing Northeast-10 Conference member institutions have been selected to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Men's and Women's Soccer Teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Both teams recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
On the men’s team, Bentley University senior Weston Zeiner was a First Team selection after being named the Northeast-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year and leading Bentley to a 10-5-2 record. Zeiner is an Accountancy major with a 3.84 grade-point average.
Southern New Hampshire University also had two men’s selections, as senior Jordan Branco was named to the Second Team and grad student Austin Britt was named to the Third Team.
For Branco, it marks the second straight year he was honored. A Communications major, he posted a 3.81 GPA and helped the Penmen to the national quarterfinals after totaling 21 points on six goals and a team-high nine assists.
Britt, an Information Technology major with a 3.71 GPA, was a member of a Penmen defensive unit that allowed 13 goals in 23 games and posted 12 shutouts. He also scored three goals.
Among the women’s selections, junior Carmelina Puopolo from The College of Saint Rose was a Second Team selection with a 3.35 GPA. Puopolo led the nation with 57 points on 20 goals and 17 assists, while helping engineer the Golden Knights’ run to an NCAA national semifinals in Evans, Ga., late last month. A Childhood Education major, the junior carries a 3.35 GPA.
Puopolo was also named the Ron Lenz National Player of the Year as part of the 2012 Daktronics NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer All-America First Team.
So. New Hampshire senior Daniel Abruzzese was a Capital One All-America Second Team choice. Abruzzese, a Business Administration major, started all 22 games for a Penmen defense that registered eight shutouts while carrying a 3.81 GPA.
To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
The Northeast-10 also saw eight student-athletes named to the NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s All-America Teams. The NSCAA also released its Men’s and Women’s All-Region Teams this week as well.
In addition, four were named to the 2012 Daktronics NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer All-America Teams, while five were named to Daktronics Women’s Soccer All-America Teams.
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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