BOSTON – Suffolk men's soccer saw five student-athletes pick up College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors in seniors Elias Parreira and Dai Podziewski and sophomores Xander Balog, Taj Jensen and TJ Maselek.
Presented by College Sports Communicators (CSC), formerly known as College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) to the most accomplished student-athletes for combined academic and athletic achievements each year since 1952, this is the longest-running and most prestigious academic and athletic award for student-athletes to receive.
All nominees must have a GPA of at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), be a starter or important reserve, and have competed in at least 50 percent of a team's competition.
With the addition of this year's five honorees, Suffolk men's soccer now has seven Academic All-District nods in its record books, all of which have come in the last three years under Bill Maddock's guidance. The five acknowledgments in one season are the second-most by a Suffolk squad all-time, falling behind just the 2022 women's squad that saw six student-athletes recognized.
Suffolk Athletics now has 35 academic all-district awards in its history from CSC dating back to 2004, 24 of which have come over the last seven seasons.
The Rams were joined by fellow Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) institutions Curry (1), Endicott (2), Gordon 92), the University of New England (3) and Wentworth (2) on the list that featured 735 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer student-athletes. The blue-and-gold's five honorees were the most individuals on a CCC acknowledged.
The academic accolades come on the heels of season in which Suffolk made its first-ever appearance in the CCC Championship contest and put together the most victories (10-6-5) in over a decade.
Balog was a main ingredient to Suffolk's success with a standout sophomore season. The Tallahassee, Florida product scooped up a spot on the All-CCC Second-Team after compiling a 1.23 goals against average and .790 save percentage. He played every minute in net for the blue-and-gold and set a new program for shutouts in a regular-season with nine cleansheets. Balog achieved all of this with a perfect 4.00 GPA, while working towards his business degree.
Members of the Class of 2023, Podziewski, a broadcast journalism student-athlete who holds a 3.961 GPA, played in 13 games at defense this season. Parreira, meanwhile, is a business economics undergrad with a 3.611 GPA, appeared in 16 contests.
Maselek, a Sutton, Massachusetts native, boasts a 3.764 GPA as an entrepreneurship concentrator. On the pitch, he played 15 games, started seven, and supplied the first points of his collegiate career in a pair of goals.
A business and economics major, Jensen holds a 3.765 GPA. The midfielder, who calls Providence, Rhode Island, home, was a staple in Suffolk's scoring. He played in all 21 games and registered 10 points on three goals and four helpers.
Suffolk's five honorees now advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in early December.