KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Three America East women's soccer standouts who earned All-America honors have also been named Scholar All-Americans, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) announced Saturday.
Boston University's Angelina Cords and Jessica Luscinski and University of Hartford's Caitlin Alves, all third-team All-Americans, all earned first-team Scholar All-America status. The conference's three first-team selections are tied for the most in the country, joining Conference USA.
Cords, a senior back, earned America East Defender of the Year honors and led a Boston University team that set a program record with 19 wins, won its fifth straight league title, reached the second round of the NCAA tournament and was ranked 17th in the final national rankings. The Most Outstanding Player of the America East Championship, Cords led a back line that allowed just 13 goals in 23 games and had 14 shutouts. A repeat second-team CoSIDA All-District selection, Cords is a double-major in biology and economics with a 3.56 GPA. She's also a two-time America East All-Academic honoree.
Luscinski, a senior forward, earned America East Striker of the Year honors for the second straight season. Also a first-team all-league forward for the third consecutive season, Luscinski led the conference in points (26), assists (8) and was second in goals (9). She wrapped up her career second on Boston U.'s all-time points list with 82. A senior with a 3.64 GPA in health sciences, Luscinski was America East's women's soccer Scholar-Athlete last year. She has earned All-Academic honors from the conference each of the last two years.
Alves, a junior midfielder, earned America East Fans' Choice Players of the Year honors. Also a first-team all-conference standout, she led the league in goals (10) and game-winning scores (6). She also ranked second in overall points with 25. Alves helped lead Hartford to one of its best seasons in program history in which it compiled a 13-2-3 record and earned the No. 2 seed for America East Championship. A health sciences major with a 3.61 grade-point average, Alves earned America East All-Academic honors and first-team CoSIDA All-District accolades this year.
The trio will be recognized at the annual All-America Luncheon, to be held in the Kansas City Convention Center's Grand Ballroom on Saturday, Jan. 14, in conjunction with the 2012 NSCAA Convention in Kansas City, Mo.