Complete America East Release
Cambridge, MA – A trio of University of Hartford men's soccer seniors earned the distinction of All-Academic as released by the America East conference on Tuesday. Seniors Nenad Cudic, Ivan Guarin and Cedomir Tomcic represented the Hawks on the 11-member America East All-Academic Team for 2009.
The America East Conference has declared an All-Academic squad from every sport since 2005, honoring the league's top student-athletes who excel in the classroom as they do on the playing field. To be nominated for the distinction student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve for their team and participate in at least 50-percent of their team's games. In the classroom, the student-athletes must have at least a 3.30 GPA and have completed at least one calendar year at their institution. Freshmen are not eligible for consideration.
Cudic, a two-year member of the men's soccer team, was one of 11 student-athletes selected to the ESPN The Magazine All-Academic First Team as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) last month. The Novi Sad, Serbia native has started and played in 16 games in goal for the Hawks, allowing 16 goals (1.05 goals-against-average) and recording 50 saves in over 1,400 minutes of action. Cudic has posted four shutouts this season, and has compiled seven for his career since transferring to Hartford from Auburn University at Montgomery for the 2008 season.
The All-Academic honor is also the second of the postseason for Guarin who was named to the America East All-Conference First Team a week ago for the second consecutive season. The Pereira, Colombia native is just one of three Hawks to start and play all 17 games this season. A member of the Hartford midfield, Guarin currently ranks second on the team with 10 points including four goals and a pair of assists. A transfer from Herkimer Community College, he has seen action in 29 career games with 26 starts.
Tomcic, who is also an America East All-Conference First Team selection, came to Hartford in 2008 after transferring from Mid-Continent University. He has been a mainstay on the Hawks' defense for the past two years, playing in 33 games and starting all but one. Over his career, the Novi Sad, Serbia native has helped the Hartford back line post 11 shutouts including four in 2009. Most recently, Tomcic helped keep the men's soccer postseason run alive as he netted the game-winning goal in the Hawks' 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Boston University Terriers in America East quarterfinal play last Saturday.
Hartford closed out the 2009 regular season with an overall record of 7-7-2 including a 4-2-1 mark in conference play, earning the No. 3 seed in the America East tournament. With Saturday's defeat of Boston University, the Hawks advance to the conference semifinals after Saturday's win for the first time since the 2003 season to face No. 2 Stony Brook on Wednesday, November 11. The Hawks and Seawolves are scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. kick-off in Stony Brook, NY.
