Celia Merullo	Ryan Richards	Katelyn Campopiano	Rudy Kocandrle

LOWELL, MA (Nov. 1, 2007) – Senior Celia Merullo (Wakefield, MA) and sophomore Ryan Richards (Holden, MA) were among four UMass Lowell men’s and women’s soccer players named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District Teams, released Thursday.

Merullo was named to the women’s second team for the second successive year while Richards was cited to the men’s first team. Senior Katelyn Campopiano (Chelmsford, MA) and Rudy Kocandrle (Northboro, MA) were cited to the women and men’s third teams.

Eligible student-athletes must have played at an institution for at least a year and maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or above.

Both the UML women (11-8-1, 6-7-1 Northeast-10 Conference) and men (12-3-3, 10-2-1 NE-10) are awaiting NCAA Tournament bids to be announced Monday.

Merullo, who earned District 1 (Northeast) third team honors in 2005, has been the consummate student-athlete with a 3.91 cumulative average in accounting. A three-year starter, she has played and started in 15 matches this season after a knee injury curtailed the 2006 season.

A defensive midfielder, Merullo has registered one goal and one assist this year and has handled the rigors of marking opposing playmakers over her three seasons. The honor is the latest of many academic plaudits and second of the year for Merullo, who was also named to the NE-10 All-Academic First Team on Oct. 16.

A chemistry major, Richards has maintained a 3.93 while backstopping the River Hawk men to one of their most successful seasons in the program’s history. In 18 matches (1,557 minutes), Richards has maintained a goals against average of 0.69 and a save rate of .778 while compiling six shutouts.

Among NE-10 goalkeepers, Richards ranks second in goals against average (15th nationally), tied for third in shutouts, and fifth in save percentage.

The honor is the second for Richards in recent weeks as he was also named to the NE-10 All-Academic First Team.

Campopiano, also cited to the NE-10 All-Academic First Team for the second straight year, makes her first appearance on District 1 team. A four-year defender/goalkeeper, she has helped UML achieve the school record for fewest goals allowed in a season (17, achieved in 2005 and 2006) and is an integral player in UML’s 30 shutouts over the last four years.

In 19 matches this year, Campopiano has helped the River Hawks allow just 1.04 goals against per game and amass nine shutouts. A liberal arts major, she has maintained a 3.68 cumulative average.

Kocandrle emerged among the NE-10’s top defenders this season and has guided UML to eight shutouts thus far. A two-year starter, he is very much a part of UML’s 0.64 goals against average which ranks first in the NE-10 and ninth in Division II.

Kocandrle also scored one of UML’s biggest goals of the season in a pivotal 1-0 victory at Southern Connecticut on Sept. 15.

Kocandrle has endured the rigors of majoring in civil engineering to the tune of a 3.45 grade point average.