Thursday, November 2, 2006              

FERRIS, MOREIRA NAMED TO CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT SOCCER TEAMS

Nicole Ferris	Ashley Moreira

BRISTOL, Conn. --- Tusculum College defenders Nicole Ferris and Ashley Moreira have been named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District IV College Division Women's Soccer Team announced officials Thursday.  Ferris was named to the All-District Second Team, while Moreira garnered Third Team honors.

            Ferris, a 5-10 sophomore from Lebanon, Ohio, has posted a 3.93 cumulative grade point average while majoring in Sports Management.  Ferris has started in every match for the Pioneers since her arrival on the Greeneville, Tenn. campus, including all 17 contests this year.  She was named to the 2005 South Atlantic Conference Tournament Team and is also a member of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.

Moreira, a 5-8 senior from London, Ontario, Canada, is majoring in English Education at Tusculum with a 3.67 GPA.  Moreira is a two-time All-Conference selection and was named to the 2005 NSCAA Division II All-Region First Team.  She is currently tied as the school's all-time assists leader with 31 helpers.  Moreira leads the team with seven assists to go along with a goal for her nine points.  She has started in all 76 matches she has played in at Tusculum.

            Ferris and Moreira anchor one of the top defensive units in NCAA Division II.  The Pioneers are 12^th in the nation in team goals against average (0.52) and have posted 11 shutouts this season (9^th in NCAA II).

            Tusculum (12-2-3), ranked No. 19 in NCAA Division II, will face Armstrong Atlantic State University in the opening match of the 2006 NCAA II Southeast Region Tournament , held this weekend at McCown Field in Jefferson City, Tenn.  The second-seeded Pioneers will face the No. 3 Pirates for an 11:30 a.m. match on the Carson-Newman College campus.

The ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District team is selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) from institutions within District IV, which includes the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.

Tusculum is making its second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and third national postseason appearance in four years.

- TC -