November 17, 2009

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that University of Dubuque junior forward Sara Fassbinder (Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert) has been named the 2009 IIAC Women’s Soccer Most Valuable Player and Dubuque head coach Jason Berna has been named the 2009 IIAC Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year.

Fassbinder, who becomes the first Dubuque player since Kim Monigold in 2005 to be named Women’s Soccer MVP, led the Spartans to a program-best runner-up finish in the regular season and the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship. In 19 games, she tallied 11 goals and nine assists for a team-high 31 points. She led the league in points and assists. In seven IIAC games, she ranked second in scoring (14 points) and assisted on a league-best six goals. Instrumental in Dubuque capturing its first Iowa Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament title, she scored both of the Spartans’ goals, including the game-winner in a 1-0 win over upset-minded No. 5-seed Simpson.

Berna, in his ninth season as head coach at Dubuque, guided the Spartans to a 15-6-1 overall record and a 6-2 mark in the Iowa Conference for a runner-up finish, each being the best in program history. Dubuque earned the No. 2-seed in the IIAC Tournament, winning the title and the accompanying AQ to the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship   for the first time. The Spartans fell in the first round to No. 8/10 Concordia-Moorhead. Berna, who started the Dubuque women’s program in 2001, also won IIAC Coach of the Year honors in 2005.

The IIAC also announced the 2009 Women’s Soccer All-Conference Team. The 26-member Team includes 15 repeat All-Conference performers including Simpson’s Heather Akes, who raises the number of four-time All-Conference selections to 20. Loras led the way with six All-Conference selections, including four on the Second Team. Dubuque, Luther, and Wartburg had five All-Conference selections each with the Knights placing a league-high four on the First Team. Simpson landed four All-Conference selections, including three First Teamers. Coe, with one on the Second Team, picked up the remaining All-Conference honor.

The complete 2009 IIAC Women’s Soccer All-Conference Team can be found here.

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