MVC Release

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Three Missouri State men's soccer players received academic recognition from the Missouri Valley Conference, the league office announced Monday (Nov. 23). Sophomore Rob Oslica earned a spot on the MVC scholar-athlete first team, while juniors Phil Woods and Josh Finch landed an honorable mention.

Oslica makes his first appearance on the MVC scholar-athlete squad after performing above and beyond for the Bears this season. After earning MVC All-Freshman honors last season, Oslica started all 17 matches for MSU this season, playing in all but 24 minutes as a defender while registering three shots. His defensive expertise helped the Bears record seven shutouts. A 2015 CoSIDA Captial One Academic All-District honoree, Oslica holds a 3.79 cumulative grade point average in cell and molecular biology at MSU.

Woods takes home scholar-athlete honorable mention team laurels for his performance on the field and in the classroom. A 2015 All-MVC honorable mention, he had an impressive junior campaign for the Bears grabbing a game-winning goal against Eastern Illinois and contributing three assists. An entertainment management major, Woods was awarded CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District honors this season for his 3.85 cumulative grade point average.

Finch joins teammate Woods on the MVC scholar-athlete honorable mention squad for the first time in his career. The entrepreneurship major holds a team-high 3.88 cumulative grade point average at MSU. On the field, Finch has been able to come into matches for the Bears and perform when he is needed. For the second consecutive season, Finch made an appearance in the MVC tournament.

The criteria for the all-MVC honor parallels the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) standards for Academic All-America voting. Nominees must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.20 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.00 scale). Also, students must have participated in at least 75 percent of the regular-season matches or played in the league tournament. Student-athletes must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their institution (true freshmen and redshirt freshmen are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution.