ASU Men's Soccer Named to NSCAA Team Academic List

BOONE, N.C.- For the third time in as many seasons, Appalachian State University men's soccer head coach Shaun Pendleton has had a team be named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award list.

To qualify for the NSCAA list, the team's overall grade point average has to rise above a 3.0 and the 2009-10 team posted a 3.13 grade point average. A total of 630 teams nationwide were named to the list with 194 men's teams and 436 women's teams garnering the honor.

The Mountaineers have only made the list in two previous seasons (2002, 2006) before Pendleton came to ASU in 2008.

"This award is a great honor to receive and something that ASU athletics is proud of," said Pendleton. "The players have worked very hard in the classroom and I am very proud of them."

Only two other Southern Conference foes made the list.  Elon had a team GPA of 3.06 and Wofford boasted a 3.23 GPA.

Academic success is not something that Pendleton is new to as when he was at Lynn University, his teams made the list in every season from 1998-2007.

Elon Soccer Teams Honored for Academics by NSCAA

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) has awarded both the Elon men's and women's soccer squads one of its highest team accolades. The Phoenix programs have both been named one of 630 recipients of the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the 2009-10 academic year.  Elon was one of just 125 institutions nationally to have both its men's and women's programs earn the honor this year.

The Team Academic Award is presented to programs which boast a minimum of a team GPA of 3.0 the previous academic year.  This award is given for the 2009-10 academic year during which the women's squad recorded a 3.26 GPA and the men's program a 3.06 GPA. This is the 10th time that the Elon women's program has claimed this honor (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010).  The men have now been recognized in back-to-back years.

Of the 630 combined teams recognized, 436 were women's teams and 194 men's programs.

SoCon Men's Soccer Teams Earning NSCAA Team Academic Award

School, Head Coach, GPA (2009-10)

Appalachian State, Shaun Pendleton, 3.13

Elon, Darren Powell, 3.06

Wofford, Ralph Polson, 3.23