May 18, 2012

BOSTON – A record 10 Boston University student-athletes were among the graduating BU seniors honored with a Scarlet Key in honor of their service to the BU community. The Scarlet Key is one of BU's highest academic honors. This year's recipients were inducted in an annual tapping ceremony at the George Sherman Union Metcalf Ballroom on Thursday (May 17).

The Scarlet Key Awards acknowledge the curricular and extracurricular achievements of the students who are nominated. Scarlet Key recipients are nominated by faculty and staff and are evaluated in five areas: leadership, commitment, representation, tradition and academics. The 10 honorees mark the highest number of student-athletes honored in BU history.

Kasey Boucher of the women’s ice hockey team will graduate having played more games than any other Terrier in program history (147). This past season was her finest, as she was named Hockey East Best Defenseman, was a Hockey East First-Team selection and was also named a New England Division I All-Star. The Lewiston, Maine, native set new career highs with 14 assists and 16 points this past season and also registered a team-best plus-18 rating as BU won its second Hockey East title in three seasons. Along with her teammates, Boucher helped raise money as part of Hockey East’s annual Skating Strides against Breast Cancer event each of the past four seasons. She will graduate with a degree in business administration and management.

Serving as the 2011-12 Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) President, Erica Casacci of the softball team has left her mark at BU on and off the field. Casacci, a four-year starter for the Terriers, has helped her team capture three America East crowns and subsequent NCAA tournament appearances. She has also been a dedicated member of SAAC since her sophomore year and volunteered her time to numerous events including the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, the Special Olympics of Massachusetts and College for Every Student, a non-profit organization geared to help underprivileged youth gain access to College. A native of Plantation, Fla., Casacci will graduate with a degree in psychology.

A 2012 All-CAA honoree, Cheryl Copson helped lead the Terriers to a second-place finish in their first-ever CAA Championship last April. Copson, a member of the varsity eight boat since her freshman year, also helped the Terriers earn a silver medal at the 2012 Eastern Sprints. The Peterborough, Ont., native was named to RowOntario’s Crew of the Year in 2010 after helping the Ontario Rowing Club’s Under 23 board take first place at the 127th Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. Copson will graduate with a degree in archaeology.

The 2011 America East Defender of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the America East Championship, Lina Cords of the women’s soccer team has helped the Terriers capture the America East crown and an NCAA tournament bid every season that she has been on the field. Cords capped off her successful career by being named the top America East Scholar-Athlete in women’s soccer and earned NSCAA Third-Team All-America honors. The two-time CoSIDA All-District Second Team selection and native of Leonardtown, Md., will graduate with a double major in economics and biochemistry & molecular biology.

Katie Matthews was a four-year standout on both the women’s cross country and women’s track & field teams. In 2011, she finished sixth in the 5,000m run at the NCAA Indoor Championships and was eighth in the 10,000m run at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning an All-America distinction in both seasons. This past year, she broke the school record in the 5,000 run at the Terrier Invitational with a time of 15:52.80, which at that point of the year was the fastest time in the NCAA. The Rocky Hill, Conn., native was also successful during the 2011 cross country campaign, as she won the New England Championship and was named to the America East All-Academic Team. Her and her teammates also helped raise money for the Lupus Foundation in each of the past two years. Matthews will graduate with a degree in speech-language pathology.

Allison Pescatore of the men’s crew team has coxed the varsity eight boat in each of the last two seasons. This year, she coxed the 2V8 boat to a victory against Dartmouth and also advanced to the Petite Final at the Eastern Sprints. Last season she coxed that boat to wins against Dartmouth, Rutgers, Syracuse and Columbia and also advanced to the Petite Final at both the Eastern Sprints and the IRAs, finishing fifth and fourth, respectively. A native of Haddonfield, N.J., Pescatore will graduate with a degree in communications.

A 2012 America East All-Conference First Team member and former Rookie of the Year, Emily Roesch of the softball team has battled back from injuries to secure her starting spot as second baseman for the Terriers this season. Roesch batted .287 on the season with 41 hits, including nine double and five home runs, to lead BU to its third America East championship in the last four seasons. Her stellar defensive presence helped the Terriers rank 17th in the nation in fielding percentage for the season. A native of Palm Beach, Fla., Roesch will graduate with a degree in communications.

Ryan Ruikka of the men’s ice hockey team was one of the top scholar-athletes in program history and overcame injuries to also have a fine career on the ice. After missing the first two years due to injury, he made his collegiate debut during the 2010-11 season. In 63 career games, Ruikka has scored three goals and added nine assists for 12 career points. The Chelsea, Mich., native has received the Regina Eilberg Scholarship, given to the top scholar-athlete on the men’s ice hockey team, three straight years. He has already earned a dual major bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics and will graduate this weekend with a master’s degree in economics. Ruikka will return to the Terriers for a fifth year as he works on a second master’s degree.

Serving as a team captain since her sophomore season, Caroline Stewart of the women’s basketball team played in 122 games during her four-year career and helped establish BU as one of the America East’s top programs. Under her strong leadership, the Terriers captured two conference titles and made three trips to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). Stewart, who received the John B. Simpson Award at last month’s student-athlete awards reception, finished her career with 737 points and ranks fourth all-time in school history with 791 rebounds. A native of Topsfield, Mass., Stewart will graduate with a degree in broadcast journalism.

Molly Swain was a two-year captain of the women’s lacrosse team and has helped the Terriers to a pair of America East titles and two NCAA tournament appearances. She was named to the America East All-Conference Second Team and the America East All-Academic Team in 2012. Swain has also been involved with many community service initiatives during her time at BU. The Cambridge, Mass., native spent a lot of time working at the High Spirit Community Farm which is a community for severely disabled adults. Swain also did community service in Ecuador and, along with her teammates, worked with the Friends of Jaclyn and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She will graduate with a degree in painting and will begin working at the Camphill Special School in Glenmoore, Pa.