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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Missouri Southern senior Jessica Buhman (Olathe, Kan.) has been selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas (NSCAA) All-American squad this year after maintaining a 3.3 grade-point average in nursing. This is a very prestigious achievement for Buhman, as she is one of only 40 student-athletes to receive this honor. Succeeding in the classroom is nothing new for Buhman, as she has been a three-time MIAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll selection and was an honorable mention selection last year on the NSCAA All-Central Region Scholar Athlete Team. Buhman finished her career as a four-year starter, starting every match in her four-year career but two. She scored two goals and recorded one assist this season. Also, three other Lion members earned NSCAA All-Central Region Scholar Athlete honors, including, Amy Davis (Fenton, Mo.), Erin Gfeller (Overland Park, Kan.) and Ashley Turner (Columbia, Mo.). Davis maintains a 3.8 GPA in physical education. Davis started all 20 matches this year for the Lions and scored two goals, with one assist. Gfeller is set to graduate this May with a perfect 4.0 GPA in accounting. Gfeller is fifth all-time at Southern with 13 career goals as a three-year performer for the Lions. Turner also maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA, with a major in biology. She played terrific defense this season and was a key factor in the Lions posting nine shutouts this year and holding the opposition scoreless for nearly 509 straight minutes that included five straight shutouts. In addition to the individual honors, MSSU also received an NSCAA Team Academic Award for the second straight season with a team GPA of 3.62. The Lions team GPA ranks as the third highest in the nation. To be eligible for the Team Academic Award, a soccer program must have a team GPA of at least 3.0 for the 2005-06 school year. The Lions, who finished the 2006 campaign with an 11-4-5 overall record, also received an NSCAA Team Ethics award by virtue of finishing the season with no ejections (red cards). The Lions, under fourth-year head coach Trevor Wachsman, tied the school record for wins this season by finishing 11-4-5 overall and achieved their highest-ever conference finish by winding up all alone in second-place in the MIAA with a 9-2-3 conference record.Southern also made their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Postseason Tournament and ended the season ranked No. 22 in the final NSCAA poll, the first time in school history the Lions have finished the year with a national ranking.
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