Blue Devils Earn Three NEC Fall Sportsmanship Award

Three Central Connecticut State fall teams were named the winners of the Northeast Conference Team Sportsmanship Award. The programs recognized were men's cross country, volleyball and men's soccer, as the Blue Devils led the way with three of the seven fall sportsmanship awards.

The sportsmanship award is the sixth for the volleyball program, the fifth for men's soccer and the second in men's cross country history.

The Blue Devils men's cross country team won the NEC Championship, in dominating fashion, with eight runners earning spots on the All-NEC Cross Country Team.

Instituted by league Presidents in 2008, the awards are designed to acknowledge the team in each conference sport that, in the opinion of its peers, most closely demonstrates good sportsmanship based on the NEC Principles of Sportsmanship and Standards of Conduct. Voting is conducted at the conclusion of each season by each team and head coach, who rank teams within the conference based on a set of criteria.

Since the NEC Team Sportsmanship program was instituted in 2008-09, Saint Francis U has won a conference-best 50 awards, followed by CCSU (35), Wagner (33) and LIU (30).

"Our sportsmanship awards program serves as a meaningful reminder that how we compete is just as important as the results on the scoreboard," said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. "Each of these teams earned the respect of their peers by consistently demonstrating what it means to compete with character and integrity. We are proud to honor those who embody the spirit of fair play."