Dec. 17, 2014
ALL NSCAA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICA SELECTIONS
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Stellar seasons on the field for University of Notre Dame women’s soccer junior captains Katie Naughton (Elk Grove Village, Illinois/Elk Grove) and Cari Roccaro (East Islip, New York/East Islip) helped power the Fighting Irish to the third round of the NCAA Championship in 2014. Naughton and Roccaro officially capped their successful campaigns on Wednesday, being recognized as National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Women’s University Division Scholar All-America third team selections.
In order to be named to an NSCAA Scholar All-America team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average throughout her career, start more than 50 percent of all games while being a significant contributor to the team and be nominated by an institution that is currently an NSCAA member. Naughton and Roccaro are the first Notre Dame award recipients since Lauren Fowlkes was named an NSCAA Scholar All-America first team choice in 2010.
As a team, Notre Dame was previously honored this fall by the coaches association with an NSCAA Team Academic Award for the 2013-14 academic year. To be eligible for team academic accolades, a team must have a minimum grade point average of 3.25 for the entire academic year. Team GPA is determined by adding every player’s GPA, then dividing by the number of players on the roster.
Sporting a 3.53 GPA as a double major in anthropology and Spanish in Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters, Naughton earned NSCAA all-region honors for the first time this season by copping an all-Southeast Region second team citation after starting all 22 matches at center back for Notre Dame. Naughton’s four goals, all headers off Fighting Irish corner kick attempts, established a new career-high and ranked third among all Notre Dame players. Naughton added two game-winning goals against Illinois (Aug. 22) and Baylor (Sept. 12) to her offensive account.
An all-Atlantic Coast Conference second team selection, Naughton also anchored the Notre Dame defense during its 12 total shutouts, including more than 500 consecutive minutes of scoreless soccer during ACC play in 2014.
Maintaining a 3.45 GPA as a sociology major in the College of Arts and Letters, Roccaro joined Naughton as an NSCAA Southeast all-region second team performer after starting 18 matches in the Notre Dame midfield, contributing two goals and one assist to the Fighting Irish attack. Roccaro notched her first point of 2014 with an assist in the final game of the Notre Dame Invitational against USC (Aug. 31), tallying her first goal of the season in the 84th minute against No. 4/5 Virginia (Oct. 5). Roccaro later provided the game-winning score in an ACC showdown at Syracuse (Oct. 18).
Notre Dame’s lone all-ACC first team choice during her junior campaign, Roccaro became the ninth player in program history to be named a three-time all-conference first team selection. Roccaro repeated as a member of the ACC’s top team after earning the distinction during Notre Dame’s first season in the conference in 2013, and was tabbed as the BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Year and a first team all-conference player as a freshman in 2012.
For more information on the Fighting Irish women’s soccer program, follow Notre Dame on Twitter (@NDsoccernews or @NDSoccer), like the Fighting Irish 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.
NOTRE DAME ALL-TIME NSCAA SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICA SELECTIONS
Katie Naughton (Third Team, 2014)
Cari Roccaro (Third Team, 2014)
Lauren Fowlkes (First Team, 2009-10)
Brittany Bock (First Team, 2008)
Elise Weber (Second Team, 2008)
Ashley Jones (Third Team, 2007)
Jen Buczkowski (First Team, 2006)
Ashley Jones (Second Team, 2006)
Kim Lorenzen (First Team, 2006)
Christie Shaner (First Team, 2006)
Erika Bohn (First Team, 2004)
Gudrun Gunnarsdottir (First Team, 2004)
Annie Schefter (Third Team, 2004)