Worcester, MA --- WPI men's soccer player Benjamin Gilde (Manchester, NH) has been named to the ESPN The Magazine All-District 1 first team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (Co-SIDA). Gilde, who now advances to the national ballot, is one of just six sophomores nationwide to be selected first team in the College Division, which is comprised of all Division II and Division III programs in the NCAA.

Gilde sports a 4.00 GPA while majoring in Actuarial Mathematics and minoring in Management and Spanish. Last May he was honored as a Charles O. Thompson Scholar in recognition of top academic success at WPI as a freshman.

This season Gilde led WPI to a 10-5-2 record with a team-best six goals and 15 points. He earned NEWMAC Player of the Week honors on October 16th after notching the game-winning goal in a 1-0 shutout of Anna Maria on October 10th and dishing out the game-winning assist in a key 1-0 conference road win at Springfield on October 14th. Gilde and his teammates finished NEWMAC play with a 3-2-1 mark and hosted at conference tournament match for head coach Malcolm MacPherson.

Last year Gilde earned the McNulty Award, which is presented to the outstanding male athlete at WPI in the freshman class.

Gilde, who hails from Manchester, NH, is the son Walter and Helen Gilde. He played scholastically for head coach Chris Leberge at Manchester Central while being home schooled.