June 2, 2010

Cambridge, Mass. - Senior softball player Alyssa Struzenberg (Cooper City, Fla.) has been named one of the three finalists for the America East Woman of the Year award, as announced by commissioner Patrick Nero. The field was narrowed from 13 to three, with the winner being announced on Monday, June 7 at the conference's Annual Meetings in Lake Placid, N.Y. The honor recognizes the conference's senior female student-athlete who has best distinguished herself throughout her collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletic excellence, service and leadership.

Struzenberg pitched for the Seawolves and captained the team as a senior. A three-time first-team all-conference member and 2008 America East Pitcher of the Year, she led her team to the America East Championship title as a sophomore and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player as well as the Stony Brook Female Athlete of the Year. A three-time NFCA All-Region selection, Struzenberg is the school's all-time leader in career wins, shutouts and strikeouts.

A three-time America East All-Academic Team pick, Struzenberg was named to the ESPN/CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for the second straight year this season. She graduated earlier this spring with a double major in business management and economics, registering a 3.85 GPA. Struzenberg is a member of the Society of Distinguished Scholar Athletes since 2006 and received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in 2009.

Struzenberg spent 2009 volunteering with Play It Forward, an organization with which she spent time with children undergoing cancer treatment. Throughout her four years at Stony Brook, she also spent time with the Special Olympics, National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Walk for Beauty and Thanksgiving food drives. This past season, she spent over 30 hours as a teaching assistant over the course of 16 weeks, two times a week.