Jan. 8, 2009

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Three Atlantic 10 Conference men's soccer players have been named to the 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's Soccer Scholar All-America teams led by first-team honorees Zack Simmons of Massachusetts and Temple's J.T. Noone. Dayton's Alex Torda was a member of the second-team.

Simmons, a senior goalkeeper, was previously selected as the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Men's Soccer Academic All-America of the Year, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. He has been selected as the Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the Atlantic 10 Conference twice and has been on the Academic All-Conference Team three times. He is the first-ever UMass men's soccer player to earn national Academic All-American of the Year honors.

A native of Durham, N.H., Simmons is a History and Economics major with a 3.99 Grade Point Average. He has started all 20 games this fall for the Minutemen and posted a 0.80 GAA while registering seven shutouts. Simmons led the UMass to its second straight NCAA College Cup appearance.

Noone, a native of Harrisburg, Pa., was a second-team NSCAA All-American and posted record breaking numbers this season for the Owls. His 12 assists set a school mark, breaking the previous mark of nine set in 2004. The senior midfielder started in every game for the Cherry and White and led the Atlantic 10 in assists and assists per game, as well as ranking third nationally in assists per game. He tallied seven goals and led the team in points with 26.

An economics major with a 3.88 cumulative grade point average, Noone was also named to the 2008 NSCAA/adidas Senior College Men's Scholar All-America Soccer Team as well as ESPN The Magazine's First-Team Academic All-America.

Torda, a junior midfielder, made Dayton soccer history by being the first lyer named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List in 2008. He was selected to the prestigious 2008 NSCAA/adidas Men's College Scholar All-America Second-Team and is just the third UD player since 1997 to earn the distinction.

The Colleyville, Texas, native carries a 3.63 GPA in entrepreneurship and finance at Dayton and led the squad in goals scored (10). A First Team All-District IV CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine All-Academic selection, Torda was also named to the 2008 A-10 Men's Soccer Academic All-Conference Team.