November 10, 2005

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Loras College senior midfielder Matt Ochoa (New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic) has been named the 2005 IIAC men’s soccer Most Valuable Player and Loras head coach Dan Rothert has been named the 2005 IIAC men’s soccer Coach of the Year.

Ochoa’s value to the Loras line-up goes beyond statistics. He was looked at to dictate the pace of the game for the Conference’s top defensive team and #2 offensive team. He was called upon to take a majority of free and corner kicks, and was responsible for creating numerous offensive opportunities. Ochoa scored four goals and three assists in 20 matches. Half of his goals were game-winners.

Rothert, in his eighth season as head coach at Loras, led the third-seeded Duhawks to their first Iowa Conference Tournament title as they became the lowest seed to ever win the men’s soccer Tournament. Loras enters their first-ever NCAA Tournament with a 16-3-1 overall record and finished 6-1-1 in the Iowa Conference. Rothert has been named IIAC women’s soccer Coach of the Year four times, this is the first time he has received the men’s honor.

The IIAC also announced today the 2005 men’s soccer All-Conference Team. The 26-member Team includes 11 repeat All-Conference performers including Central’s Conrad Vernon who is a four-time All-Conference selection. Conference Champion Wartburg, runner-up Central and Tournament Champion Loras each have five players on the All-Conference Team. Wartburg and Loras each have four members of the First Team.

The complete 2005 IIAC All-Conference men’s soccer Team is here.

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