Kansas City, KC --- The Worcester State women's soccer team was one of four public schools in Division III New England to earn a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Academic Award as announced by publicist Monique Bowman on Monday.

With a solid cumulative 3.08 grade point average over the course of the 2013-14 academic year, the squad earned NSCAA accolades for the first time in program history. To be honored, a team must have a 3.0 minimum GPA or higher through the fall and spring semesters of athletic competition.

Worcester State was among a list of 585 institutions from all NCAA and NAIA divisions to receive NSCAA accolades and one of 36 Division III schools from around New England recognized.

The four public institutions that were named included WSU, MCLA, Eastern Connecticut and UMass Dartmouth while 2014 NCAA Tournament participants Amherst, Bowdoin, Brandeis, Roger Williams, Springfield and Williams also received a nod.

The women's soccer team was also one of 10 WSU female squads to post a cumulative grade point average above 3.0 and this past fall the Lancers had a league-best 17 individuals selected to the MASCAC All-Academic Team for having a fall semester or maintaining at least a 3.20 GPA.

Under the direction of seventh year head coach Kevin Cumberbatch, the Blue and Gold went 14-4-1, captured the MASCAC Regular Season title, the MASCAC Tournament crown and made their sixth appearance in the NCAA Division III women's soccer tournament.

2013-14 NSCAA Team Academic Awards