Navy's Moeller tabbed amongst region's elite

Navy junior Shelly Moeller (Milford, Ohio) added to an already impressive resume, collecting Third Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors from Soccer Buzz, the publication announced last week.

Moeller, a three-time All-Patriot League selection, previously earned Soccer Buzz honors in 2006 earning second-team and all-freshman kudos.

The 2008 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and a Second-Team NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic selection, she was one of three conference student-athletes to be recognized among the elite in their respective regions.

This past fall, the dynamic 5-foot-10 center back marshaled a backline that allowed only 14 goals in 22 contests, shutout a league-high 13 opponents and produced the 12th-best goals-against average in the country (0.60).

A relentless and physical presence, she was a primary reason why the Mids were able to hold 19 of their 22 foes to one goal or less and the team rarely relinquished a lead, winning all 14 games in which they scored first.

Since arriving in Annapolis, Moeller has been a fixture in the center of the Navy defense, starting all 69 games since joining the program as a freshman in 2006. By no coincidence, Moeller\'s arrival has coincided with a remarkable string of success for the Mids.

*Over the last three seasons, Navy has won more than 78 percent of its contests compiling an overall mark of 50-11-8.

*The Mids are 15-2-2 in conference play during this span, have won a pair of postseason league championships, played in three NCAA Tournament games and have a regular season league title to their credit.

*Navy has owned the Patriot League\'s top defensive unit in each of the last three seasons. Since the 2006 season, the Mids have posted a 0.63 goals-against average and have recorded 42 shutouts.

In 2006, Moeller, then a freshman, earned league Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors and was a driving force in leading Navy to the national lead in GAA (0.37), shutout percentage (79.0) and save percentage (91.8).

This past fall, the defensive stalwart became just the third player in Patriot League history to earn the conference\'s top defensive nod twice during her career.

Moeller heads into the 2009 season with a chance to become the first player in Patriot League history to garner player-of-the-year laurels three times in her career.

In the classroom, where the Ohio native owns a 3.52 cumulative grade-point average while majoring in oceanography, her tremendous successes have continued. In each of her last four semesters, she has posted a perfect 4.0 GPA in classes within her major.

She has been named to the Commandant\'s List all seven semesters while at the Academy, and added her first Dean\'s List mention to an already impressive resume this past fall.

Earlier this week, Moeller was one of six Mids named to the Patriot League\'s Academic Honor Roll.  Along with senior teammate Lizzie Barnes (New Orleans, La.) she also garnered NSCAA Scholar All-East Region and CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II First Team honors earlier this season.