HAMDEN, Conn. - Senior defender
Tobias Esche (Bremen, Germany) was named to the Capital One Men's Soccer Academic All-America Third Team in a vote from a panel of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) represntatives, it was announced today.
Esche becomes Quinnipiac's fifth Academic All-American in school history, and the first men's soccer player. He is also the first Bobcat in any sport to earn the prestigious honor in the last 10 years, since baseball player Ryan Rizzo and track and field/cross country athlete Katie Gwyther were both third-team selections in the 2005-06 academic year. Volleyball player Heather Wollyung was a second-team selection in 2002, while softball player Kerri McMahon earned third-team honors at the college division level in 1996.
After transferring from North Carolina for the 2013 season, Esche was a big part of leading the Bobcats to back-to-back regular season MAAC titles in 2013 and 2014 while starting at center back. He helped Quinnipiac to a 7-1-2 league mark in 2013 and an unbeaten 7-0-3 record during the 2014 campaign. The 2013 squad went on to win the MAAC Tournament in penalty kicks to earn the program's first-ever NCAA Division I appearance.
Individually, Esche twice was named to the All-Northeast Region team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). He was also a two-time first-team All-MAAC selection, and was a Capital One Academic All-District selection last year, an award he repeated this fall to earn eligibility for the Academic All-America team. He carries a 3.91 cumulative grade point average at Quinnipiac while majoring in business management.
"We're thrilled that Tobias earned Academic All-America honors," said Head Coach
Eric Da Costa. "He has meant so much to our program as a player, but his playing ability pales in comparison to the type of person and ambassador for our program that he has been for the last three years. This could not have happened to a better person."