WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Six members of the Purdue soccer program have been named to the Academic All-District Team by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA).
Seniors Charlotte Cyr, Nicole Kevdzija and Emily Mathews and sophomores Sabrina Blount, Kayla Budish and Olivia Hall are honored for their success both academically and athletically during the 2023 season and throughout their careers.
This year's six awardees are the most in program history and the maximum that are allowed per team to be recognized this year by CSC. Five Boilermakers were honored last season, Purdue's first academic all-district accolades since 2019.
Purdue soccer has now received a total of 24 Academic All-District awards, with 13 coming since 2018. The first 11 honors were earned between 2003 and 2013. Prior to last year, the Boilermakers hadn't collected more than three accolades in a season.
Kevdzija and Mathews are honored for the second consecutive year while Blount, Budish, Cyr and Hall all earned the recognition for the first time in their careers.
To be considered, student-athletes must maintain a minimum 3.50 GPA and be at least a sophomore academically and athletically. On the field, they must be a starter or key reserve that has played in at least 90 percent of their team's games or started at least 66 percent of the team's matches. Additionally, honorees must be in at least their second year at their current school unless they are a transfer student.
Blount played in all 18 games as a defender in 2023 with 11 starts, including every Big Ten contest. She logged 1,140 minutes and recorded four shots. In her career, Blount has played in 34 games with 27 starts and has six shots and one shot on goal in more than 2,500 minutes. A native of Cedar Park, Texas, Blount is pursuing a degree in animal sciences.
Budish scored a team-high-tying three goals, one of them a game-winner, with two assists for eight points, second-most on the team in 2023. She played in 16 games with 13 starts and totaled 790 minutes as a forward with 16 shots and nine shots on goal. Budish has played in 33 games with 30 starts in her two-year career and has scored seven goals with four assists for 18 points in more than 2,000 career minutes. She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team in her inaugural campaign in 2022. From Brookfield, Wisconsin, Budish is majoring in brain and behavioral sciences.
Cyr played in and started 17 games in goal in her first season as a Boilermaker in 2023. She made 73 saves for a .716 save percentage and a 1.77 goals-against average in 1,476 minutes. In her four-year career that began at Dartmouth, Cyr played in 45 games with 43 starts and made 236 career saves for a .787 save percentage and a 1.51 goals-against average in more than 3,800 minutes. She is an All-Ivy and All-New England honoree at Dartmouth, where she graduated with a degree in environmental science. The Wethersfield, Connecticut, native will earn a certificate in environmental policy from Purdue.
Hall started all 18 games in 2023 and was second on the team with 1,533 minutes played as a defender. She has played in 28 career games with 24 starts in two seasons and has notched more than 2,000 minutes. Hall hails from Overland Park, Kansas, and is majoring in public health.
Kevdzija scored one goal with one assist for three points with seven shots and two shots on goal in her senior season. She played in all 18 games with 15 starts as a midfielder in 1,060 minutes. In four seasons, Kevdzija scored six goals, three of them game-winners, and notched four assists for 16 points. She played in 69 games with 54 starts in more than 4,500 career minutes. Recognized on the Academic All-Region Team in 2022, Kevdzija is a multiple-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. She is a native of Strongsville, Ohio, and will graduate in May with a degree in electrical engineering.
Mathews led the Boilermakers with five assists and nine points in her senior season and had two goals with 36 shots and 14 shots on goal. She started all 18 games as a midfielder and saw 1,350 minutes on the pitch. In her career, Mathews totaled 21 assists, fourth-most in team history, with nine goals for 39 points. She started 69 games and played nearly 5,800 minutes. An All-North Region Third Team and All-Big Ten First Team honoree in 2021, Mathews also earned Academic All-Region Team honors in 2022 and was named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team during her Purdue career. From Macomb, Michigan, she will graduate in May with a mechanical engineering degree.
For more on the Purdue soccer team, visit PurdueSports.com/Soccer and follow and connect with the Boilermakers at @PurdueSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Seniors Charlotte Cyr, Nicole Kevdzija and Emily Mathews and sophomores Sabrina Blount, Kayla Budish and Olivia Hall are honored for their success both academically and athletically during the 2023 season and throughout their careers.
This year's six awardees are the most in program history and the maximum that are allowed per team to be recognized this year by CSC. Five Boilermakers were honored last season, Purdue's first academic all-district accolades since 2019.
Purdue soccer has now received a total of 24 Academic All-District awards, with 13 coming since 2018. The first 11 honors were earned between 2003 and 2013. Prior to last year, the Boilermakers hadn't collected more than three accolades in a season.
Kevdzija and Mathews are honored for the second consecutive year while Blount, Budish, Cyr and Hall all earned the recognition for the first time in their careers.
To be considered, student-athletes must maintain a minimum 3.50 GPA and be at least a sophomore academically and athletically. On the field, they must be a starter or key reserve that has played in at least 90 percent of their team's games or started at least 66 percent of the team's matches. Additionally, honorees must be in at least their second year at their current school unless they are a transfer student.
Blount played in all 18 games as a defender in 2023 with 11 starts, including every Big Ten contest. She logged 1,140 minutes and recorded four shots. In her career, Blount has played in 34 games with 27 starts and has six shots and one shot on goal in more than 2,500 minutes. A native of Cedar Park, Texas, Blount is pursuing a degree in animal sciences.
Budish scored a team-high-tying three goals, one of them a game-winner, with two assists for eight points, second-most on the team in 2023. She played in 16 games with 13 starts and totaled 790 minutes as a forward with 16 shots and nine shots on goal. Budish has played in 33 games with 30 starts in her two-year career and has scored seven goals with four assists for 18 points in more than 2,000 career minutes. She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team in her inaugural campaign in 2022. From Brookfield, Wisconsin, Budish is majoring in brain and behavioral sciences.
Cyr played in and started 17 games in goal in her first season as a Boilermaker in 2023. She made 73 saves for a .716 save percentage and a 1.77 goals-against average in 1,476 minutes. In her four-year career that began at Dartmouth, Cyr played in 45 games with 43 starts and made 236 career saves for a .787 save percentage and a 1.51 goals-against average in more than 3,800 minutes. She is an All-Ivy and All-New England honoree at Dartmouth, where she graduated with a degree in environmental science. The Wethersfield, Connecticut, native will earn a certificate in environmental policy from Purdue.
Hall started all 18 games in 2023 and was second on the team with 1,533 minutes played as a defender. She has played in 28 career games with 24 starts in two seasons and has notched more than 2,000 minutes. Hall hails from Overland Park, Kansas, and is majoring in public health.
Kevdzija scored one goal with one assist for three points with seven shots and two shots on goal in her senior season. She played in all 18 games with 15 starts as a midfielder in 1,060 minutes. In four seasons, Kevdzija scored six goals, three of them game-winners, and notched four assists for 16 points. She played in 69 games with 54 starts in more than 4,500 career minutes. Recognized on the Academic All-Region Team in 2022, Kevdzija is a multiple-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. She is a native of Strongsville, Ohio, and will graduate in May with a degree in electrical engineering.
Mathews led the Boilermakers with five assists and nine points in her senior season and had two goals with 36 shots and 14 shots on goal. She started all 18 games as a midfielder and saw 1,350 minutes on the pitch. In her career, Mathews totaled 21 assists, fourth-most in team history, with nine goals for 39 points. She started 69 games and played nearly 5,800 minutes. An All-North Region Third Team and All-Big Ten First Team honoree in 2021, Mathews also earned Academic All-Region Team honors in 2022 and was named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team during her Purdue career. From Macomb, Michigan, she will graduate in May with a mechanical engineering degree.
For more on the Purdue soccer team, visit PurdueSports.com/Soccer and follow and connect with the Boilermakers at @PurdueSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.