NFHCA Release

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn field hockey team was honored for its hard work off the field Tuesday, as the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association (NFHCA) awarded LIU a 2017 Zag Field Hockey/NFHCA Division I National Academic Team Award for the second straight season. In addition, it was announced that the Blackbirds had one of the highest GPAs in the country, coming in fourth overall with a team GPA of 3.59.

74 Division I programs earned the Team Academic Award, the NFHCA office announced. The Division I National Academic Team Award recognizes those programs that earned a team GPA of 3.30 or higher during the Fall Semester of the 2017-18 academic year. Brown University posted the highest team GPA with a mark of 3.74 while fellow Ivy League institutions Columbia University and Harvard University posted team GPAs of 3.66 and 3.63, respectively. The Top 5 was rounded out by LIU Brooklyn (3.59) and American University (3.58).

"We are very proud of this team accomplishment," LIU head coach and 2017 MAAC Coach of the Year Kyle DeSandes-Moyer said. "High academic achievement is something we take very seriously throughout the year, and is reflected in our team's annual goals. Knowing we have a team of mostly freshmen and sophomores in rigorous academic tracks is just a reflection of how hard this group works in the classroom."

The NFHCA will also honor individual athletes later in the week, announcing Scholars of Distinction and the National Academic Squad.