Women's Soccer | 10/22/2020 1:42:00 PM

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University women's soccer program was named a recipient of the Team Pinnacle Award from the United Soccer Coaches as announced by the organization on Thursday. The Huskies were one of only nine collegiate programs across all divisions - men or women - to earn the prestigious accolade.

In its second year, the Team Pinnacle Award honors teams that have achieved a high level of fair play, educational excellence, and success on the pitch. A total of 32 programs - 23 at the high school level and nine at the collegiate level - garnered the award for the 2019-20 academic year.

To be considered for the award, teams must have received either the Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze version of the Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award; achieved recognition in the classroom as a recipient of the Team Academic Award; and recorded a winning percentage of .750 or higher during the respective season.

"To have the women of Bloomsburg University Soccer honored with such a prestigious award is truly a highlight of my tenure at BU," said Huskies' head coach Matt Haney. "As one of nine honorees across the NCAA, men or women, our coaching staff could not exhibit greater pride. Our culture of winning and losing the right way and, most importantly, succeeding in the classroom helps make the Bloomsburg University women's soccer family a group of dynamic young women who are in it together and work hard for each other at every turn."

Joining Bloomsburg University as recipients of the Team Pinnacle Award at the collegiate level were Adrian College (women), Christopher Newport University (women), Eastern Connecticut State University (men), Minnesota State University Mankato (women), Motlow State Community College (women), The College of Saint Rose (women), SUNY Geneseo (women), and Webster University (women).

The Huskies, who posted an 18-3-1 (.841 winning percentage) record en route to their second consecutive Atlantic Regional title in 2019, earned the Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Bronze Award as well as the Team Academic Award from United Soccer Coaches during the 2019-20 academic year.

Bloomsburg was one of 93 schools, but the only institution from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), to earn a Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award of any kind last season. That award recognizes teams that exhibit fair play, sporting behavior, and adherence to the game's laws. A team must not have received any red cards during the season - regular season or postseason - and the team's yellow card percentage (total yellow cards divided by total games played) must not exceed 50%.

Meanwhile, the Huskies had a cumulative team grade point average of 3.55 last season to make them one of 562 women's programs across the country to earn a Team Academic Award. It marked the fifth consecutive season that Bloomsburg staked claim to the honor for having a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or higher.