The Massachusetts Maritime women’s soccer team was recognized yesterday by the National Soccer Coaches of America with its third Gold Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award in the last four years after completing the 2015 season without receiving a red card and just one yellow card for the campaign.  The NSCAA honor is the fourth straight for the Buccaneers, who received the organization’s Silver Ethics accolade last year.

The NSCAA honored a total of 82 programs (both men’s and women’s) at all levels of competition with their respective Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze version of the Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes teams that exhibit fair play, sporting behavior and adherence to the laws of the game as reflected by the numbers of yellow caution cards or red ejection cards they are shown by referees throughout the season.

Head Coach Ray Cabral’s Buccaneers were one of nine NCAA Division III women’s programs to be honored by the NSCAA with the Gold Ethics Award, and Massachusetts Maritime was one of two Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference institutions to receive a Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award, as the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts received a Silver Ethics Award.

“I want to congratulate Coach Cabral and our student-athletes on once again earning well-deserved recognition for this great achievement,” Massachusetts Maritime Director of Athletics Garin Veris said of the NSCAA honor.  “The high standard of success that our cadets have attained both athletically and academically is also accompanied by demonstrating high levels of respect and sportsmanship, and I couldn’t be more pleased that our program continues to uphold those ideals.”

Massachusetts Maritime has ranked among the national leaders in Division III in fewest fouls committed and cards received in its eight-year varsity history.  Cabral guided the Buccaneers to a school-record tying four victories during the 2015 season, and senior goalkeeper Katie Levesque (Wilmot, N.H./Kearsarge Regional) earned first team all-MASCAC and all-NSCAA New England Regional accolades for her performance in goal for a third straight season while also representing the Academy at the New England Women’s Intercollegiate Soccer Association Senior Bowl Game.