AUSTIN, Texas --- Tusculum College's Jonathan Spicher has been named to the 2015 CoSIDA NCAA Division II Academic All-America® Men's Soccer third team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Spicher, a junior forward from Cologne, Germany, has a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point and is majoring in accounting. He becomes the second player in program history to garner Academic All-America® honors, joining goalkeeper Tony Swaminathan, who earned second team honors in 2002.
Spicher appeared in 16 contests, including 12 starts where he has tallied a pair of goals. His first goal of 2015 came in Tusculum's 1-1 draw against Lincoln Memorial University. He also scored in TC's 5-1 road win at Mars Hill University. He recorded 32 shots this season, including 13 on frame.
Last year, Spicher scored seven goals and earned a spot on the All-SAC second team as he led the Pioneers with his four match-winning goals. He scored the match-winner in a SAC quarterfinal win over Carson-Newman University and kicked in the deciding goal in a penalty kick shootout with Mars Hill in the SAC semifinal and earning him a spot on the SAC All-Tournament Team.
In 2013-14, he was the recipient of the Tusculum Freshman of the Year Academic Award and followed with the TC Academic Achievement Award, which goes to the Pioneer student-athlete with the top GPA. He is a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, Athletic Director's Honor Roll, President's List, Dean's List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List.
To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
The CoSIDA Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2015-16 Division II Academic All-America® teams program.
- TC -
2015 CoSIDA Division II Men's Soccer Academic
All-America® Team
First Team
GK - Johannes Sterobo, Northwood
D - Connor Branson, Charleston (W.Va.)
D - Cameron Burrows, Wingate
D - Ryan Lawhead, Missouri S&T
D - Josh Smith, Bloomsburg
M - Trey Collins, Florida Tech
M - Richard Garvey, Colorado School of Mines
M - Jonathan Lupinelli, Southern New Hampshire
F - Erik Anderson, Northwest Nazarene
F - Corey Brown, Queens (N.C.)
F - Per Forgaard, LIU Post
Second Team
GK - Kevin Leib, St. Edward's
D - Ryan Dendinger, St. Edward's
D - Sam Glawe, Colorado St.-Pueblo
D - Davis Karacia, Seattle Pacific
D - Joe Woodley, Wilmington
M - Lewis Hilton, Young Harris
M - Josiah Ireland, Harding
M - Jordan Kollars, Seattle Pacific
F - Connor Gilmour, Cedarville
F - Gui Machado, Limestone
F - Sebastian Stezewski, Southern New Hampshire
Third Team
GK - Nick Zucco, Southern New Hampshire
D - J.P. Ditommaso, New Haven
D - Julio Leon Garcia, Merrimack
D - Kuba Waligorski, UC San Diego
D - Brendon, Widau, Indianapolis
M - Brenden Bombardier, Northeastern State
M - Jermaine Metz, Palm Beach Atlantic
M - Jared Newman, Cedarville
F - Crosby Lee, Northeastern State
F - Jacob Meyer, Indianapolis
F - Jonathan Spicher, Tusculum