Valparaiso women’s soccer juniors Rita Craven (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) and Jenny Fassbinder (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) have both been named First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District V honorees, as announced by the organization today.  Both Craven and Fassbinder will now be eligible for Academic All-America honors.

Craven ranks second on the team with five goals and 11 points on the season, serving as one of the Crusaders’ most potent attacking weapons.  Four of Craven’s five goals were of the match-winning variety, matching the program’s single-season record for game-winning goals.  Her four match-winners also are tied for the Horizon League lead.  In the classroom, Craven carries a 3.96 cumulative GPA as a biology major and was a member of the Academic All-Horizon League team last season.  She has also been a member of the league’s Academic Honor Roll each semester eligible.

Fassbinder has been one of the anchors on the back line for a Valpo side which ranks among the nation’s top defensive teams.  The junior has started every match on defense and has played a total of 1,441 minutes through 16 matches, second-most among Crusader field players.  Fassbinder has helped lead the defense as it ranks among the top-ten in the nation in goals against average and has registered ten shutouts on the season.  In the classroom, Fassbinder owns a 3.94 cumulative GPA as a biology major and has been a member of the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll each semester eligible.

To be eligible for Academic All-District and Academic All-America, student-athletes must hold at least sophomore status, own a minimum grade-point average of 3.30, and be either a starter or key reserve.  District V consists of schools in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.