DAYTON, Ohio - University of Dayton senior Alex Torda is one of five players in the nation who was a repeat selection to the NSCAA/adidas Men's College Scholar All-America Team in the University Division when the teams were announced today. He earned second team honors in both 2008 and 2009.
Torda, along with all the NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-America selections, will be recognized at the annual All-America Luncheon, held in Philadelphia on Jan. 16 as part of the 2010 NSCAA Convention.
In addition, Torda, as well as fellow senior Ben Murray, were named First Team 2009 NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-East Region selections, while junior Tommy Watkins earned honorable mention All-East Region Scholar accolades.
Both Murray and Torda were honored for their prolific playing careers in addition to their academic success by the NSCAA. They were named Third Team 2009 NSCAA Division I Mid-Atlantic All-Region selections. They were also both named to the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award List, making Dayton just one of two institutions to have two men's soccer players named as candidates for one of the most prestigious honors in college athletics.
Torda, a candidate for the 2008 Hermann Trophy, earned all-region honors for the third time in his career. Of Torda's six goals this season, three were game winners. He finished his four-year career at Dayton with 24 goals, 11 assists and 59 points. The Dallas native carries a 3.60 GPA in entrepreneurship and finance at Dayton and has been a First Team All-District IV CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine All-Academic selection for the past two seasons.
Murray, a native of Westerville, Ohio, boasts a 3.69 GPA in business/economics and finance. He was also named to the 2008 and 2009 Atlantic 10 All-Championship Teams. He was named Most Valuable Player in 2008 when the Flyers posted a school record 15 wins, captured the A-10 Tournament Championship and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Watkins was also named to the 2009 CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 4 First Team. A defender from Richmond, Va., he has a 3.74 GPA in his pre-physical therapy major. He helped the Flyers post nine shutouts this season. Watkins tallied a goal and five assists from his defensive position.
In addition to the individual accolades, the Flyers earned the 2009 NSCAA College Team Academic Award (by posting a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher). The UD women's team also took home this honor, which made the University of Dayton one of 101 schools to have both the men's and women's soccer programs earn the distinction.
The Flyers posted a 14-5-1 record and won the Atlantic 10 regular season title in 2009 under A-10 Coach of the Year Dennis Currier.
