Oct. 30, 2008
LAS VEGAS - UNLV's Daniel Cruz was voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII Men's Soccer First Team, while Dani Morin was selected to the women's second team all-district team, the organization of sport information directors announced on Thursday. Cruz earns the first academic district honors in his career, and by being named to the first team, Cruz is now placed on the national ballot for CoSIDA Academic All-American. It is the first recognition for Morin.
Cruz, a sophomore forward and native of Glendale, Ariz., is currently second in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in scoring with 13 points, behind teammate Lamar Neagle's 14. Cruz's five goals tied him for second and his three assists are tied for sixth. He also has three game-winning goals this year, tied for first in the league. His most recent game-winner came against preseason MPSF favorite New Mexico in a 2-1 win on Oct. 17, and that performance earned him MPSF Player of the Week honors. He was also named conference player of the Week on Sept. 2, after scoring three goals in wins over Jacksonville and Radford.
His play this year has helped the Rebels to second place in the MPSF with a 3-2 record, and the team's 8-4-1 record is the best since 1987. Cruz is also a member of the 2008 U.S. National team, having played with the team in several games this past summer.
Cruz was an Academic All-MPSF honoree while also making the dean's list in his freshman year. He carries a cumulative GPA of 3.73 with a major in criminal justice.
Morin, a junior defender from Saugus, Calif., has started 55 games over the past three years on the Rebel backline, and has helped UNLV allow just 15 goals this year while posting a current 11-5-2 record. Her defensive play was key to UNLV earning the school's first-ever top-25 ranking after an 8-1-1 start. She has also made an impact on offense as well, scoring her first career goal while adding two assists for four points this year.
Morin was an Academic All-MWC honoree the past two seasons, and has also been named to the dean's list three times. She carries a cumulative GPA of 3.61 with a major in computer science.
Student-athletes must be in at least their second season, hold a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30 and be a starter or important reserve to be eligible for the CoSIDA Academic All-District teams. District VIII is made up of schools in California, Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Utah.
