WESTON, Mass. - Thanks to the combination of high academic performance and significant contributions to the program on the field, several members of the Regis College women's soccer team have earned Academic All-District® recognition from College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA), announced Tuesday, Nov. 15, by the national organization.
In order to be an Academic All-District® honoree, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore at their institution and have spent at least one full year at that particular school, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above, and have played at least 50 percent of their team's contests as a starter or important reserve.
Payton Bridge (Norton, Mass.) received Second Team All-GNAC honors after solidifying the Pride midfield as the team won 10 matches overall, the sixth time within the last 10 season the Pride have reached double figures in victories. Appearing in all 18 matches for the Pride, including 17 starts, Bridge averaged close to 75 minutes per match on the field, including nine contests playing all 90 minutes. A 2021-22 Academic All-GNAC honoree, Bridge is majoring in elementary education.
Elisa D'Sa (Bellmore, N.Y.) also played in all 18 matches for the Pride during the 2022 season, featuring 17 starts. D'Sa averaged close to 77 minutes on the pitch per match, including 11 occasions where she played all 90 minutes. She earned her first career point with an assist at Norwich Sept. 16, plus she earned another assists against Rivier Sept. 28. Also a member of the Regis track and field team, D'Sa is a nursing major and received Academic All-GNAC recognition in 2021-22.
Alexa Katsoulis (Oxford, Mass.) played in 17 matches for the Pride this past season, including 14 starts. She started the Pride's flurry of goals late in the Norwich match with a tally in the 81st minute. She also scored the game-tying goal Oct. 12 at Simmons with a header off a corner kick just over four minutes after the Sharks took the lead in the first half. Katsoulis also played a significant role in the defense during seven shutouts. A two-time Academic All-GNAC honoree, Katsoulis is majoring in biology with a minor in psychology.
Hailey Lovell (Wakefield, Mass.) earned Third Team All-GNAC recognition for the second consecutive season after leading the Pride with eight goals, eight assists, 24 total points, and 57 total shots, including 24 shots on goal. Lovell moved into fifth place on the Regis single-season assists list, into a tie for sixth place on the Pride single-season points list, and into a tie for ninth place on the single-season goals list. A two-time Academic All-GNAC selection, Lovell is majoring in nursing.
Maria Toumbouras (Walpole, Mass.) brought speed to the forward position as she created several scoring opportunities for the Pride throughout the season. Appearing in 16 matches, including 13 starts, she finished third on the team with four assists and eight total points. Toumbouras assisted on the game-winning goal at Curry Sept. 3 and scored her first career goal during the team's 1-0 win over Elms Oct. 15. She is also a two-time Academic All-GNAC honoree and is majoring in biology with a minor in Spanish.
Aria Ulmer (Henniker, N.H.) adds to her award collection, as she was previously selected Third Team All-GNAC as well as to the GNAC Women's Soccer All-Sportsmanship Team. Ulmer finished with four goals and one assist for nine total points as she appeared in 16 matches, starting the final 15 contests in a row. She opened the scoring with penalty kick goals at Norwich Sept. 16 and against Rivier Sept. 28. A two-time Academic All-GNAC selection, Ulmer is majoring in biology with a minor in laboratory management.
Tia Zanardi (Haverhill, Mass.) was selected First Team All-GNAC, the first Regis women's soccer player to receive First Team recognition in any conference since 2014. Starting all 18 matches this year, Zanardi collected her first two career assists this past season. She played all 90 minutes in 14 of the team's 18 contests, including the last nine matches in a row, averaging 82.1 minutes per match on the pitch. A two-time Academic All-GNAC honoree, Zanardi is majoring in therapeutic recreation with a minor in psychology.
Academic All-District® honorees advance to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in early December.
Regis College sponsors 20 intercollegiate sports, including women's soccer, within NCAA Division III as part of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.