FAIRFAX, Va. - The Mason men's soccer team is matching their success on the field in the classroom, earning the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award as announced on Thursday. 

The NSCAA annually recognizes college and high school soccer programs that have excelled in the classroom, in addition to their work on the field. The Patriots were one of the teams to collectively hold a grade point average of 3.0 or higher for the 2012-2013 academic year, posting a 3.11 collective GPA. 

Mason has also seen recognition in several recent collegiate soccer rankings. The Patriots jumped into the final rankings of the Soccer America Men's Top-25 at No. 15 and the most recent College Soccer News Top-30 National Poll at No. 24. Mason also received votes in the NSCAA Coaches Poll and will face New Mexico, who is ranked 25th in the poll on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST in the second round of the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship.