NEWARK, Del. – Junior Ben Sampson of the University of Delaware men’s soccer team was selected to the CoSIDA/Capital One District II All-Academic Men’s Soccer Team announced Thursday.

The second-year starter has recorded one goal and one assist this season. Sampson (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury) maintains a 3.98 grade point average with a computer engineering major. Sampson’s GPA is the second highest in District II.

To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must carry a 3.3 or better grade point average, be a starter or key reserve, and have at least sophomore eligibility.  District II includes all NCAA Division I schools in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland West Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The teams are selected by a vote of sports information directors. All first-team selections are now eligible for Academic All-American accolades, which will be announced in November.

Sampson, who also earned the selection last year, is on the University of Delaware’s Dean’s List and was named to the Colonial Athletic Association Academic Honor Roll in both his freshman and sophomore years at Delaware. The midfielder conducted academic research for Delaware in the summer of 2014 and won the UD Presidential Achievement Xerox Scholarship.

In addition to his academic and athletic responsibilities, Sampson also volunteers as a youth math tutor and volunteers with the Tony Sanneh Foundation, which helps raise funds for students with brain cancer.

Sampson is a second-year starter at midfield for the Blue Hens and has started all 17 games, registering one goal (vs. Iona) and one assist. He is part of a UD offense that leads the CAA and ranks No. 7 in the nation in scoring (2.24 goals per game) and a defense that has posted six shutouts this season. For his career, Sampson has played in 40 games with 40 starts and scored three goals.

The Blue Hens (11-5-1, 4-2-1 CAA) will return to action Sunday as UD will play Elon for the CAA regular season title. The game will begin at 1 p.m. at Stuart and Suzanne Grant Stadium.

CoSIDA District II First Team

GK – Joachim Ball, University of Louisville  (Accounting)
MF – Ben Sampson, University of Delaware  (Computer Engineering)
MF – Pablo Medina, St. Francis University (Pa.)  (Accounting)
MF – Kyle MacDonald, Penn State University   (Engineering)
D – Francis de Vries, St Francis University  (Psychology)
D – Jack Elliott, West Virginia University  (Geography)
D – Jake Weinreb, American University  (Math & Economics)
D – Julian Dickenson, University of Pittsburgh  (Actuarial Mathematics)
D – Joseph Cahalan, Loyola University (Md.)  (Finance)
F – Andy Bevin, West Virginia University  (Management Information Systems)
F – Cameron Porter, Princeton University   (Computer Science)
F – Jesse Klug, Bucknell University  (Managing for Sustainability)