AVERY NEAL & TRAVIS BIRRELL
Duo Selected To Academic All-District Soccer Team
Duo Selected To Academic All-District Soccer Team
Neal, Birrell Selected To Academic All-District Team
The midfielder and forward are named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Men's Soccer Team, honoring excellence on the field and in the classroom
FOREST GROVE – Pacific University defender Avery Neal (Jr., Los Alamos, N.M.) and forward Travis Birrell (Jr., Seattle, Wash.) have been honored for not only their work in Pacific’s best season in over a decade, but for their work in the classroom as the pair have been named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII Men’s Soccer First Team.
The selection, voted upon by sports information directors from the western states, make the pair eligible for selection to the Academic All-America team, which will be announced on Nov. 18. The two have played critical roles in Pacific’s 12-2-2 overall record and their tie for first place in the Northwest Conference standings. Neal and Birrell are two of six Northwest Conference selections to the 11-man squad.
“I am pleased that both Avery and Travis have been recognized for their hard work in the classroom and on the field,” said Pacific Head Coach Jim Brazeau. “They are both very important parts of our team and they reinforce the idea of the student-athlete.”
Neal was honored for his critical role in the Pacific midfield and defense while compiling a 3.93 grade point average as a double major in exercise science and physics. In 15 matches, Neal has scored two goals and registered five assists. He scored what ended up as the game-winning goal in the Boxers’ 4-2 victory over Willamette on Sept. 27. In his role as a defensive midfielder, Neal has played a vital part of a Pacific defense that has allowed just seven goals and is ranked third among NCAA Division III teams in shutout percentage.
In addition to the soccer honor, Neal was recognized last spring with selection to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII Track & Field Team and was one of Pacific’s two selections to the Northwest Conference All-Academic First Team, honoring the top male and female student-athlete at each league school as selected by faculty athletics representatives.
Birrell has proven to be a potent member of the Pacific offense while compiling a 3.83 grade point average as an exercise science major. Birrell started the first 11 matches of the season before having to sit out the last six due to injury. Birrell’s four goals ranks third best for the Boxers while his five assists ties him with both Neal and Kizamu Tsutakawa (Jr., Seattle, Wash.) for the team lead and a tie for fifth in the NWC.
The District VIII team includes nominees from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA institutions from Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Idaho. To be eligible for the Academic All-America and All-District teams, a nominee must have a sophomore standing, must have been at the nominating school for at least one academic year, be a starter or important reserve on their team and have compiled a 3.30 cumulative grade point average or better.
Posted by Blake Timm (timmbr@pacificu.edu) on Oct 30, 2009 at 1:28 PM
Edited by Alana Kansaku-Sarmiento (kans2166@pacificu.edu) on Nov 4, 2009 at 2:03 PM
