Oct. 31, 2013
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame women’s soccer senior defender/tri-captain Elizabeth Tucker (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) has been named to the Capital One Academic All-District V First Team, it was announced Thursday afternoon by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
This marks the third consecutive year Tucker has been chosen as a first-team academic all-district honoree, and once again, she will advance to the national ballot for Capital One Academic All-America® consideration. Tucker was a first-team Academic All-America® selection in 2012, and now is aiming to become the 15th two-time first-team Academic All-American in Notre Dame athletics history, as well as the third Fighting Irish women’s soccer player to do so, along with three-time choice Vanessa Pruzinsky (2000-01, 2003) and two-time selection Ashley Jones (2006-07).
Tucker was selected for this year’s Capital One Academic All-District honors through voting by CoSIDA members in District V, which encompasses Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution. In addition, nominated student-athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s matches at their respective positions.
As a team tri-captain for the second consecutive year, Tucker has helped Notre Dame to an 11-5-1 record (7-4-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Individually, Tucker has started all 17 matches for the Fighting Irish this season, collecting three goals and one assists in her first year as a starter at left back, a position she had never played in her career prior to 2013. Tucker also registered her fifth career two-goal match on Oct. 10 at top-ranked Virginia, as Notre Dame became one of only two teams to take the unbeaten Cavaliers to extra time before falling 3-2 in double overtime.
A third-team all-BIG EAST and BIG EAST All-Rookie Team selection in 2010, Tucker presently is enrolled in Notre Dame’s top-ranked Mendoza College of Business, where she is an accounting major and has a perfect 4.000 cumulative GPA, having earned dean’s list honors each semester she has attended the University. She also made the BIG EAST All-Academic Team in each of her first three years in South Bend.
Notre Dame ranks second all-time with 231 Academic All-Americans® since the program’s inception in 1952. What’s more, 105 Fighting Irish student-athletes have earned the Academic All-America® distinction during the past 14 years, third-most from any school in the country. The Notre Dame women’s soccer program has produced 25 Academic All-Americans® in its history (a national-best 17 since women’s soccer was separated from the at-large Academic All-America® program in 2002).
A full rundown on the history of Notre Dame’s Academic All-America® success can be found in the Academic All-America® almanac under the “About ND Athletics” pulldown menu on the main page of the official Notre Dame athletics web site (UND.com).
No. 19/10 Notre Dame wraps up the 2013 regular season at 8 p.m. (ET) Thursday when it takes on No. 3 Florida State at the Seminole Soccer Complex in Tallahassee, Fla., with the match televised live on the ACC-Regional Sports Networks (check local listings), as well as ESPN3 (blackout rules may apply).
For more information on the Notre Dame women’s soccer program, follow the Fighting Irish on Twitter (@NDsoccernews and @NDsoccer), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/NDWomenSoccer) or sign up for the Irish ALERT text-messaging system through the “Fan Center” pulldown menu on the main page at UND.com.
— Chris Masters, Associate Athletic Media Relations Director