Thursday, November 3, 2005

MORAVIAN’S ERIN GONDA NAMED TO ESPN The MAGAZINE
ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT FIRST TEAM

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Senior defender Erin Gonda (Bethlehem, PA/Salisbury HS) of the Moravian College women’s soccer team has been named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II College Division Women’s Soccer First Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

By making the All-District First Team, Gonda is now forwarded onto the national ballot to try for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American® accolades, which will be announced on Tuesday, November 22nd.

To be eligible for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® accolades, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 grade-point average, be a sophomore, junior or senior and be a starter or significant reserve. The College Division is made up of all the NCAA Division II and III schools in the nation as well as all NAIA schools. Student-athletes from NCAA Division I schools are named to the University Division Teams. District II is made up of schools from Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Gonda has helped the Greyhounds, who were ranked eighth in this week's NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional Rankings released by the NSCAA and NCAA Division III Regional Rankings, to a 15-4-1 record on the season. Moravian had a 5-1-1 mark during the Commonwealth Conference regular season and is making the program’s fourth appearance in the Commonwealth Conference Tournament.

Moravian will compete in the 2005 Commonwealth Conference Championship match on Saturday, November 5th at Messiah College at 5:00 p.m. The winner of the match received an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.

Gonda has three goals and an assist for seven points and she was named to the Commonwealth All-Conference Second Team for the third straight year earlier this week.

Gonda will not try to become the 31st ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American in Moravian history and the 26th in the last 13 years.