November 15, 2008

CEDAR RAPIDS , IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Loras College sophomore forward Miguel Bonilla (Cali, Colombia/Colegio Bolivar) has been named the 2008 IIAC Men’s Soccer Most Valuable Player and Central College head coach Garry Laidlaw has been named the 2008 IIAC Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year.

Bonilla, the fourth Iowa Conference MVP from Loras in the past six years, started 21 games for the Duhawks, scoring 15 goals and registering five assists for a league-high 35 points. He was part of a Loras team that led all IIAC teams in goals this season with 58. He also led the league in scoring, recording 18 points on seven goals and four assists in eight IIAC games. The Duhawks take a 16-4-1 record into a Nov. 14 First Round NCAA Tournament match against Greenville (Ill.).

Laidlaw led Central to a runner-up finish, matching the program’s best Iowa Conference finish (2005). The Dutch finished 12-7-0 overall and posted a 7-1-0 mark in league play. Under Laidlaw’s direction, Central led the Iowa Conference with 30 goals in eight IIAC games while allowing only nine.

The IIAC also announced today the 2008 Men’s Soccer All-Conference Team. The 26-member Team includes nine repeat All-Conference performers and three others who received honorable mention. Central senior midfielder Cruz Herr was named All-Conference for the fourth time, including his third consecutive selection to the First Team. Loras junior midfielder Santiago Mejia was also named to the First Team for the third consecutive year. Iowa Conference regular season champion Loras had eight All-Conference performers including four First Team members. IIAC Tournament champion Wartburg had seven All-Conference performers, also with four on the First Team. Central had five players selected, three on the First Team.

The complete 2008 IIAC Men's Soccer All-Conference Team can be found here.

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