The Valparaiso women’s soccer program had a pair of players earn Scholar All-America honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) on Wednesday, as junior Rita Craven (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) was a First Team Scholar All-American – the first in program history – and fellow junior Jenny Fassbinder (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) was tabbed a Third Team Scholar All-American.  Both Craven and Fassbinder were also First Team Scholar All-North/Central Region choices as well, while senior Kelsey Draper (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg) received Third Team Scholar All-Region accolades.

Craven earns the First Team Scholar All-American and First Team Scholar All-Region accolades to add to an impressive collection of awards the junior midfielder has procured this season.  Two weeks ago, Craven was tabbed the first NSCAA All-American in program history, receiving Third Team All-American honors.  The First Team All-Region selection was the Horizon League’s Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year in 2014, helping lead the Crusaders to their first Horizon League title and the best season in program history.  In the classroom, Craven boasts a 3.96 GPA – the highest of any of the NSCAA’s Scholar All-American selections – as a biology major and earned CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District honors earlier this year.

Fassbinder receives the Third Team Scholar All-American and First Team Scholar All-Region honors after helping anchor the Crusader defense to its best season in program history.  The junior played 1,777 minutes on the back line this year for Valpo – second-most among Crusader field players – as the defense surrendered just nine goals in 20 matches and posted 12 shutouts en route to a 14-2-4 season.  Fassbinder has now started 51 straight matches on defense for the Crusaders, in which Valpo has surrendered just 29 goals.  In the classroom, Fassbinder owns a 3.94 GPA as a biology major – third-highest among all Scholar All-American choices – and joined Craven as a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District honoree earlier this year.

Draper closed out her stellar Crusader career by earning Third Team Scholar All-Region accolades.  The senior midfielder was a Second Team All-Horizon League selection by College Sports Madness this year as she helped anchor the middle of the park for the best team in Crusader history.  In the classroom, Draper owns a 3.87 cumulative GPA as a biology major and has earned Presidential academic honors during her time at Valpo.

The trio of Crusaders was joined by six other Horizon League players on the three Scholar All-North/Central region squads.  Craven and Fassbinder were the only Horizon League representatives on the Scholar All-American teams.