Dec. 17, 2010

PHILADELPHIA - La Salle soccer players Ryan Richter and Nick Dundon added another academic nod to their resumes as both were named to the National Soccer Coaches' Association of America (NSCAA) First Team Academic All-East Region.

With their First Team honors, both are now eligible for the NSCAA Academic All-America award.

The pair joins Tommy Watkins (Dayton) and Stefan Lundberg (Duquesne) as Atlantic 10 honorees on the First Team. Kevin Okapal (St. Bonaventure) and Ben Horner (Duquesne) are represented on the Second Team. La Salle is the only Atlantic 10 school to have two First Team honorees.

Dundon adds this academic nod to his resume after being named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team and Academic All-District First Team, as well as the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference team. The junior biology major is a defensive standout for the Explorers, helping the squad to the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the 2010 Atlantic 10 Championship. He anchored a defense that earned eight shutouts, including a 2-0 blank of defending Atlantic 10 champ Saint Louis in the semifinal round of the tournament.

Richter's NSCAA Academic All-Region honor comes on top of his being named the Atlantic 10 Men's Soccer Student-Athlete of the Year and earning CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team honors. The senior accounting major was also the Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year after recording a league-best 30 points on 14 goals and two assists. Seven of his 14 goals were game winners, including back-to-back game winners to propel the Explorers into the Atlantic 10 Championship.