Feb. 2, 2006

EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Eleven Lafayette student-athletes collected 2005 Patriot League Women's Soccer Academic Honor Roll accolades. Sophomore Arielle Fields (Newton, Pa./Council Rock North) was one of seven women's soccer players to post a perfect 4.00 grade-point average (GPA) in the fall.

Women's soccer's eleven athletes, who averaged a 3.62 GPA, are the most by any Lafayette fall sport.

Joining Field, a Biology major, on the list were senior Ellie Burke (North Yarmouth, Maine/Greely), juniors Jennifer Chamberlain (Manasses, Va./Osbourn), Carolyn Fisher (Mahpac, N.Y./Ursuline School), Kelly Fitzgerald (Belle Meade, N.J./Lawrenceville School), Kelli McMahon (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), sophomores Brittany Downham (Marmora, N.J./Ocean City), Megan Hillin (Massapequa, N.Y./Messapequa), Alison Hingley (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) and freshmen Alisa Chapla (Honesdale, Pa./Honesdale) and Hannah Fink (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall).

As the team's lone senior, Burke earned 16 starts in the midfield and captained a team that finished 2-11-4 in 2005. The Psychology major completed last semester with a 3.32 GPA.

A three-year starter, Fisher earned a 3.74 as a Mechanical Engineering major. Playing in 14 games with 12 starts as co-captain, McMahon finished the season with an assist to go with her 3.60 GPA (History and Government & Law). Classmates Chamberlain (Religion and Politics) and Fitzgerald (International Affairs and Spanish) managed grade-point averages of 3.50 and 3.32, respectively.

A trio of sophomores also made the cut, as Downham topped the class with a 3.85 majoring in Biology. Hillin (Engineering) and Hingley (Civil Engineering) posted a 3.32 and 3.80, respectively. All three players contributed one goal on the season, while Hingley added a two assists for four points.

In their first semester on College Hill, a pair of rookies in Chapla and Fink collected the honors as well. Chapla (Government & Law) earned a 3.75, while Fink (Biochemistry) managed a 3.57.

A total of 495 student-athletes were named to the League's Fall Academic Honor Roll, including 27 with a perfect 4.00. Women's soccer accounted for 98 student-athletes on the overall fall list, which includes the sports of men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's and women's soccer and volleyball.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must earn at least a 3.20 GPA in the fall semester and be awarded a varsity letter in one of the seven League-sponsored fall championship sports.

As a whole, the Lafayette women's soccer club registered a 3.28 GPA and was one of 248 programs to earn the NSCAA Team Academic Award.