Greenwich’s Emily Berzolla up for Woman of the Year

MIT soccer player one of 30 nominated for award

Greenwich’s Emily Berzolla, a four-year starter with the MIT women’s soccer program, is one of the top 30 honorees for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

Berzolla had a careerhigh nine goals to go with eight assists as a senior as she finished her career with 26 goals and second in program history with 40 assists while starting in all 88 games she appeared in as MIT finished 74-12-8 in Berzolla’s four seasons.

Berzolla graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and a 3.92 grade-point average.

Berzolla served as the founder and director of the MIT Step Ahead Chapter and as the Co-President of SAAC at MIT.

“It’s an incredible honor to be nominated for this award, which recognizes players for attributes both on and off the field,” Berzolla said in a release. “I have our coaches and my teammates to thank for helping me develop not only as an athlete, but as a leader and contributor to the MIT community. I will miss my time playing for MIT, but this award is a meaningful way for me to end this chapter of my life.”

Berzolla was named to the D3soccer.com and United Soccer Coaches Division III all-American teams as a senior and was a first-team COSIDA Academic allAmerican.

The list of candidates

was cut from 161 to 30 with 10 honorees in each of the three divisions. Three finalists in Division I, II and III will be announced before a winner is selected in the fall.

Former UConn AllAmerican women’s basketball player Rebecca Lobo, the 1995 winner, is the last NCAA Woman of the Year winner with ties to Connecticut. MIT swimmer Margaret Guo was the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year.

Hearst Connecticut Media Valedictorian Emily Berzolla speaks during her Greenwich High School commencement ceremony at the school in 2016. Berzolla, a recent MIT graduate, is one of 30 candidates up for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media Greenwich’s Emily Berzolla, center, controls the ball in front of Cheshire’s Kaitlyn Loura in No. 8 Greenwich’s 2-1 win over No. 25 Cheshire in the CIAC Class LL girls state soccer tournament first-round game at Greenwich High School in Greenwich in 2015. Berzolla, a recent MIT graduate, is one of 30 candidates up for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.