KANSAS CITY -- The University of New England women's soccer team has been recognized with the Gold Award as the United Soccer Coaches released the Team Ethics & Sportsmanship Award recipients on Tuesday (Jan. 4).

The Nor'easters were among the 14 NCAA Division III men's and women's squads at the Gold level, following just four with Platinum status -- the highest level.

2021 United Soccer Coaches Team Ethics & Sportsmanship Awards

The awards are given to member programs at four rankings, based upon exhibiting fair play, sporting behavior, and adherence to the laws of the game, as reflected by the number of yellow caution and red ejection cards from referees during the course of the season. The number of cards divided by the games played reflects the percentages that distinguish the standards -- Platinum (0 cards), Gold (1-10%), Silver (11-30%), and Bronze (31-50%).