TOWSON, Md. – Mercyhurst College women's hockey forward Vicki Bendus has been named a First Team CoSIDA / ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, CoSIDA officials announced on Thursday. Bendus, the only junior on the Women's At-Large University Division First Team, becomes the second Mercyhurst player to earn Academic All-America honors this week, joining Kyle King of the men's tennis team. 

The Academic All-America team, sponsored by ESPN The Magazine and CoSIDA, honors student-athletes who have excelled in both the classroom and on the athletic field. In order to be considered for the honor, student-athletes must hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or higher and be in at least their sophomore year of college. 

Bendus, a native of Wasaga Beach, Ontario, ended the winter trimester with a 3.93 grade point average in pursuit of a degree in biology / pre-medicine. This past season she led the women's hockey team to a 30-3-3 record and a spot in the NCAA Women's Frozen Four. The 2010 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner and AHCA / RBK First Team All-American accumulated 28 goals and 37 assists for 65 points to lead the Lakers and tie for first nationally in overall points.