November 7, 2006

CEDAR RAPIDS , IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Simpson College senior forward Ashley Curran (Omaha, Neb./Millard West) has been named the 2006 IIAC women’s soccer Most Valuable Player and Simpson head coach Cory Chapman has been named the 2006 IIAC women’s soccer Coach of the Year.

Curran led Simpson to its first Iowa Conference Championship since 1999. She had 19 goals, 10 assists and 48 points in 19 matches during the year. She led the Conference with five game winning goals, finished second in goals scored and points, and tied for third in assists. The Storm finished the year with an 11-5-3 record, including a 9-3-1 record when Curran netted at least one goal. She is the fourth different Simpson women’s soccer player to earn Iowa Conference MVP honors, most of any school in the Conference.

In eight Conference matches, she scored a Conference-best 10 goals and 26 points while ranking second with six assists. She tied for the Conference’s top spot with three game winning goals and registered at least three points in five of eight matches.

Chapman led Simpson to its best Conference record (7-0-1) since 2001 (8-0-1). It was just the eighth unbeaten season in Iowa Conference women’s soccer history. The Storm finished 11-5-3 overall, including a tie against Loras in the Championship match of the Iowa Conference Tournament, giving Chapman a 23-9-5 (.689 winning pct.) record in two years as Simpson’s head coach.

The IIAC also announced today the 2006 women’s soccer All-Conference Team. The 26-member Team includes 14 repeat All-Conference performers including Curran and Wartburg’s Kristin Beck who become the 14th and 15th four-time All-Conference selections. Simpson, Luther and Wartburg each have five players on the All-Conference Team. Simpson has four First Team members, Wartburg and Loras each have three members of the First Team.

The complete 2006 IIAC women’s soccer All-Conference Team is here.

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