Villanova University

Nov. 2, 2007

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Junior defender Laura Sylvester (Broomall, Pa.) and junior forward Nicole Coia (Simpsonville, S.C.) have each been named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District second team, it was announced this week. The pair was among 20 BIG EAST players who were honored on district teams.

Sylvester has started all 20 games this season as a central back for a Villanova defense that leads the entire nation with 14 shutouts. The Wildcats are limiting the opposition to fewer than five shots on goal per game and own a scoring margin of 33-10 for the year. Sylvester has been a key part of that defensive effort and has started every team game over the past two seasons.

In the classroom, she is enrolled in the Villanova School of Business and carries a 3.65 GPA as a Finance major. This is the first time that Sylvester has earned academic recognition from CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine but the second year in a row that she has received a similar honor. Last season, Sylvester was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area women's soccer team.

Coia earns second team all-district honors for the second straight year, as she continues to excel both on and off the field. Coia is a Communication major and has a 3.90 cumulative GPA. She also is enrolled in the University honors program.

This season, Coia has played in 19 games and made four starts for the Wildcats. She is one of the team's most valuable players off the bench and currently has one goal and two assists on the season. The goal was the game winner in a 1-0 victory over Temple on September 16, while both assists also came on game-winning goals in wins over Robert Morris and St. Peter's.

The inclusion of Sylvester and Coia to the all-district team is representative of the importance the entire women's soccer team places on academic success. Villanova has been a recipient of the NSCAA Team Academic Award in each of the past nine years.

The Wildcats continue to enjoy outstanding success on the field as well, as the 2007 season will be the ninth straight for the time with at least 10 victories and a winning record. Villanova is currently playing in the BIG EAST Championship for the seventh straight season and will play a quarterfinal game at West Virginia this coming Sunday at 1 p.m.