Mankato, Minn. – Joelle Pipal was named to the Capitol One Academic All-America Women’s Soccer second team. She is the first Bethany Lutheran College student-athlete to receive this honor. The award was voted upon by Academic All-America Committee members and the current College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Board of Directors.
The senior has been an integral part of the Bethany women’s soccer team. She is active in the Bethany community serving as a Bethany Activities Committee executive and is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Pipal embodies the spirit of a true Bethany Lutheran College student-athlete maintaining a 3.90 GPA while leading the soccer team with nine goals and three assists this season.
“Joelle has been the cornerstone of our program’s turn around from being at the bottom of the conference to making consecutive post-season tournament appearances,” head coach Derick Lyngholm said. “In the classroom, she’s a top notch student who’s gone above and beyond since her freshman year.”
Pipal, who will graduate in May 2012 with a degree in communication and minor in studio art, leads the women’s soccer team in the record books in every offensive category. She tallied a career total of 95 points (37 goals, 21 assists) and seven game winning goals as a starting midfielder.
“I am very grateful for this award, beyond grateful,” Pipal said. “There are so many talented and smart women in NCAA Division III athletics and I’m honored to have been selected as a recipient. It truly means a lot to me and it’s nice to feel like all the hard work over the years was for a reason. I feel blessed for the last five years of success on and off the field.”
In her career at Bethany, Pipal was a three-time team captain and three-time team MVP. Her Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) honors include two-time first team all-conference (2008, 2010), second team all-conference (2011), and all-conference honorable mention (2007). In addition, Pipal was named UMAC Academic All-Conference four times (2007-10).