GORHAM, Maine  – For the ninth time since 2008, the University of Southern Maine Huskies field hockey team has been recognized by the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association  (NFHCA) for its outstanding academic performance earning the 2022 NFHCA Division III National Academic Team Award sponsored by TopSticks.
 
The Huskies are one of 59 Division III programs to have earned the 2022 academic honor from the NFHCA.  The NFHCA National Academic Team Award recognizes programs that earned a team grade-point average of 3.5 or higher during the fall semester of the current academic year.
 
As a team, the Huskies surpassed the 3.50 grade point average, and had 17 team members qualify for 2022 NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad individual accolades. The National Academic Squad recognizes individual student-athletes who have a GPA of 3.50 or higher through the first semester of the current academic year. 
 
Of the 17 Huskies who earned National Academic Squad honors, five Southern Maine field hockey student-athletes were further honored with the title of NFHCA Scholar of Distinction.  The Scholar of Distinction program recognizes student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.9 or higher through the first semester.  To date, USM field hockey student-athletes have been named a Scholar of Distinction 19 times.