November 8, 2007

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Loras College senior defender Matt Brumfield (Davenport, Iowa/Assumption) has been named the 2007 IIAC Men’s Soccer Most Valuable Player and Loras College head coach Dan Rothert has been named the 2007 IIAC Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year.

Brumfield, the first defender to be named Iowa Conference MVP, was one of the centerpieces of a Duhawk defense that posted 17 shutouts and allowed only four goals in 21 games heading into the NCAA Tournament. Loras also held IIAC opponents to one goal in eight league games. Brumfield has started all 21 games for the Duhawks, recording two assists and taking only three shots. The Brumfield-led Loras defense takes a shutout streak of 928 minutes into a Nov. 10 Second Round NCAA Tournament match against Wheaton (Ill.). The Thunder provided the only blemish on Loras’ otherwise sterling record as the teams played to a 1-1 double-overtime tie on Sept. 1.

Rothert led Loras to its second outright title and third overall since 2003, the Iowa Conference Tournament title, and a berth in the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship for the third consecutive year. Loras enters NCAA play with a 20-0-1 overall record after posting an 8-0 mark in IIAC play – the first clean sheet in league play since Simpson went 9-0 in 2000. The Duhawks enter the NCAA Tournament on a 19-game winning streak. This is the third consecutive year Rothert has been honored as the Iowa Conference Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year after earning similar women’s soccer honors four times.

The IIAC also announced today the 2007 Men’s Soccer All-Conference Team. The 26-member Team includes 11 repeat All-Conference performers including Luther’s John Schroeher, Wartburg’s Casey Johnson, Central’s Cruz Herr and Cody Stoermer, and Dubuque’s Nicholas Cookston who become three-time All-Conference selections. Iowa Conference regular season champion Loras had nine All-Conference performers including seven First Team members. Central College and Wartburg College had six and five players selected, respectively.

The complete 2007 IIAC men’s soccer All-Conference Team can be found here.

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