(Portions of this story courtesy of Austin College and Texas Lutheran University athletics)
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Three SCAC men's soccer student-athletes have been recognized as CoSida Academic All District for their performances on the pitch and in the classroom. Complete Academic All-District Release
Following Thursday's First Team Academic All-District recognition, Texas Lutheran student-athletes Luis Green and Mitchell Long along with Austin College's Xander Spurlock advance to the 2019 Academic All-America® ballot for NCAA Division III Men's Soccer.
The 2019 Academic All-District® Men's Soccer Team, selected by CoSIDA, recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
The CoSIDA Academic All-America® program separately recognizes soccer honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Honorees selected First Team Academic All-District® advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot. Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in early December.
Green, the 2019 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year for a second consecutive year who holds a 3.52 grade-point-average as a Business Finance major, leads the SCAC in scoring with 18 goals (tying his DIII-era program record set last season). He has produced 85 shots and 39 points.
Green's 36 goals the last two seasons are the most by a SCAC player over a two-year span since Chris Quinn of Trinity had 39 combined in 2003 and 2004.
With the postseason remaining, Green is on pace to become the first student-athlete to lead the league in scoring in back-to-back seasons since Johnny Lawson of Trinity accomplished the feat in 2013 and 2014.
A two-time SCAC Offensive Player-of-the-Week during the season, Green had five game-winning goals (also tops in the conference) and posted three hat-tricks, including one in a non-conference, 3-2, win over Colorado College on Sept. 20 and another in a Nov. 1, 6-1 conference victory at Centenary.
Green's selection as SCAC Offensive Player-of-the-Year marks the first time a player has won the award in each of his first two seasons in the league.
Long, who holds a perfect 4.00 grade-point-average as an Exercise Science major, is a midfielder and defender, has been a huge part of the Bulldogs' success. He has played in 16 games and made 15 starts. He has delivered three assists.
A native of Round Rock, Texas, Long had an assist in the Bulldogs' 2-0 home win over Johnson & Wales – Denver and TLU's 4-1 home win over Austin College.
Austin College's Spurlock, a sophomore from Frisco, is a two-year starting midfielder and this season has two goals and an assist for the conference tournament-bound 'Roos. Spurlock is an economics major and currently boasts a 4.0 grade-point-average, and last season was selected to the SCAC Academic Honor Roll in addition to being a dean's list student at Austin College. He has appeared in 32 games in his career, totaling six goals with an assist so far in his career.
The Division II and III CoSIDA Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2019-20 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs. The NAIA CoSIDA Academic All-America® program is partially financially supported through the NAIA national office.