JOHNSON, Vt. - The Johnson State College men's soccer team has been named the recipient of the 2012 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Team Sportsmanship Award in the vote the league coaches.  The Badgers have won the award in three of the last five seasons.

"The Johnson State men's soccer team, although young, was such a strong unit of young men," said head coach Ray Campanile.  "Their thirst to get better each day was only second to their desire to do things right.  The future is bright for this program and the players that are a part of it right now!"

Johnson struggled on the field in 2012 overall finishing 1-16, 0-9 in North Atlantic Conference action but improved throughout the season suffering a trio of one-goal losses in October and scoring four goals in the final four games after scoring one in the first eight matches of the season.

The Badgers are slated to return 20 of 21 student-athletes in 2013 with defender/forward Chandler Halbur (Wilmington, Vt./Twin Valley) the lone senior on the 2012 roster.