Central wins top women’s soccer sportsmanship award
PELLA-Central College landed top honors in receiving the United Soccer Coaches College Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award for the eighth consecutive year.
Central was among just four colleges to receive the Gold Award for exhibiting fair play, sporting behavior and adherence to the laws of the game, as reflected by the number of yellow caution cards or red ejection cards the teams are shown by referees throughout the season. Rates are calculated based on the number of cards accumulated divided by the number of games played.
To receive the Gold Award, teams must have percentage of 10% or less. Coach Mike Kobylinski’s squad was nearly flawless, with a single yellow card in 18 games. Also meeting the standard for the Gold Award were NAIA school Belhaven University (Miss.), Division III Emerson College (Mass.) and Paradise Valley Community College (Ariz.).
An additional 25 teams claimed the Silver Award with card accumulations of 11-30% and 13 teams received the Bronze Award for accumulations of 31-50%.
Central previously received the Gold Award in 2016. The Dutch were given the Silver Award in 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020-21 and 2022 and the Bronze Award in 2017.
