Horizon League celebrates many accomplishments from 2006 fall season

Jan. 4, 2007

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Indianapolis, Ind. -- For the Horizon League, the fall 2006 athletics season was an unquestioned success as the League gained recognition both on the field of play and in the classroom. A total of 48 student-athletes and 12 teams represented the League in the national spotlight, either in athletic competition or through academic achievements.

Men's Soccer
The University of Illinois at Chicago earned national acclaim throughout the fall, climbing as high as No. 7 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America rankings and remaining among the top 25 for nearly the entire season. The Flames' 13-3-5 overall record included a victory over eventual national champion University of California-Santa Barbara plus a 5-1-1 loop ledger which led to UIC's first regular-season League crown since 2000. That wasn't enough, however, to thwart a resurgent Loyola University Chicago squad in the League Championship.

Loyola, which had won only one League tournament game in its history prior to 2006, ousted the Flames in penalty kicks in the semifinal round and edged the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 1-0, in the final to reach the NCAA Championship for the first time ever. The Ramblers' ride ended with a 1-0, overtime loss at Northern Illinois University to cap an 11-8-2 campaign.

League Coach of the Year John Trask guided UIC to an at-large berth into the national summit, marking the first time since 2001 that the League had two entries in the NCAA field. The Flames took advantage, defeating Western Illinois University, 3-0, in the opening round before suffering a 1-0 loss at the University of Notre Dame and ending the season ranked 25th in the NSCAA national poll. UIC led the nation with a 0.36 goals-against average, which also ranked fifth in NCAA history. Freshman goalkeeper Jovan Bubonja ended the year fourth on the individual charts with a 0.33 GAA to win the League's Goalkeeper of the Year honor.

UIC's Tonci Skroce and the UW-Green Bay's Joshua Okoampa earned All-America accolades from the NSCAA, the League's first such accolades in four years. Skroce added Second-Team notice to his League Player of the Year plaque after recording seven goals and seven assists for 21 points, while League Offense Player of the Year Okoampa gained Third-Team acclaim from the coaches' association. Okoampa topped the League charts with 14 goals and 34 points in 2006.

Bubonja and Wright State University's Braden Fleak made several All-Freshman teams for their efforts. Only Okoampa exceeded Fleak's 13 goals and 29 points among League performers, with the Phoenix striker finishing tenth in the nation at 1.79 points per game. Fleak's 1.61 pace was good for 19th place on the final national charts.

Women's Soccer
The League also placed two teams in the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship, as regular-season titlist University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee joined tournament winner Loyola in the field.

UW-Milwaukee ran past the competition during the regular season, posting a perfect 7-0-0 League ledger on the way to its unprecedented seventh consecutive regular-season title. The Panthers' success ran out in the League Championship, however, in a 1-0 semifinal loss to the University of Detroit Mercy. Loyola stepped in to claim the crown and an automatic entry into the NCAA Championship two days later, edging Detroit 2-1 in the final on Ashley Morawski's match-winning header with just over five minutes remaining.

UW-Milwaukee returned to form in the opening round of the national summit as goalkeeper Erin Kane registered her League-record 26th career shutout and the Panthers outlasted the University of Michigan in a penalty-kick shootout to reach the second round for the second year in a row. Her 13th clean sheet of the year matched the League standard she established in 2005.

UWM played top-ranked Notre Dame to a near standoff in the national summit's second round, but a goal in the fifth minute of play proved too much to overcome in a 1-0 loss, ending the Panthers' season at 16-4-2.

Loyola drew third-seeded University of Florida in its tournament debut, suffering a 2-0 setback. The Ramblers set a school record with 14 victories (part of a 14-7-3 overall ledger) with freshman Cynthia Morote-Ariza winning League Newcomer of the Year honors after a campaign which featured a Rambler-record 27 points for League Coach of the Year Frank Mateus' squad. Soccer Buzz tabbed the Rambler standout on its Second-Team Freshman All-America unit, adding UW-Milwaukee's Ginny Graczyk as a Third-Team All-America honoree.

Five League players received All-Region honors from the NSCAA, with Graczyk on the first unit and Morote-Ariza on the second team. Wright State goalkeeper Steph Comisar joined teammate Jess Rooma and UW-Milwaukee's Sarah Teegarden on the Third-Team honor roll.

UW-Milwaukee finished fourth in the nation with a 0.44 goals-against average, while League Player of the Year Mary Parker of Detroit ranked among the top ten scorers in Division I with 17 goals and 40 points. The Titan striker hit the net 47 times during her illustrious career, finishing with 111 points. She became only the fifth player in loop history to earn First-Team All-League honors four times.

Volleyball
UW-Milwaukee captured its seventh consecutive regular-season crown and achieved its goal by winning the League Championship in 2006. The Panthers dropped only one match in loop play before sweeping past UIC in the final match at the League summit to advance into the national tournament for the first time since 2002.

UWM extended its school-record winning streak to 15 matches before a first-round loss to Iowa State University in the NCAA Championship, capping the year at 24-6. Senior middle hitter Cheryl Hegemann earned the League's Offensive Player of the Year honor after averaging 3.61 kills per game, while Loyola's Ann Deelo earned Defensive Player of the Year notice for her 5.02 digs-per-game rate, posting the second-highest single-season total (562) in circuit history.

Hegemann's accomplishments also garnered All-Midwest Region notice and All-America Honorable Mention from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), with junior teammate Leanne Felsing and UIC senior Ambria Springer joining her on both lists. UW-Green Bay junior Betty Slinger, an All-Midwest Honorable Mention choice, gave the League its fourth representative on the regional rolls.

UW-Milwaukee ended the year ranked 18th on the final NCAA statistical charts with an average of 16.61 kills per game, while Wright State's 18.85 digs-per-game norm was 25th-best in the nation.

Panther sideline boss Kathy Litzau earned her sixth League Coach of the Year award and added the AVCA's Division I Midwest Region Coach of the Year honor to her collection.

Cross Country
Butler University ran away with both cross country titles for the fifth consecutive year, with the Bulldog men claiming their ninth championship in a row on the way to a 25th-place showing at the NCAA Championships.

Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year Scott Overall paced Butler at the League summit, posting a 24:53.7 clocking to lead seven Bulldog runners among the top 11 finishers. Overall continued his strong senior campaign with a 35th-place performance at the national meet.

The Butler women were even more dominant, with Ava Hutchinson leading a 1-2-3-4 finish for BU and winning Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year honors. Hutchinson's 2006 résumé also included an 11th-place run at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional meet.

UIC's men and Loyola's women finished second at the League Championships. For the Ramblers, it marked their fifth consecutive runner-up showing. UIC freshman Nic Aubert and Butler freshman Marbeth Shiell won Newcomer of the Year honors, while BU's Joe Franklin claimed the Coach of the Year honors for both men and women.

Academic Honors
The Horizon League also excelled in the classroom, with 51 team and individual awards for academic success. That total included six College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America selections, and nine teams plus 17 athletes honored by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

UW-Milwaukee had three of the six CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America picks, with seniors Billy Meier (men's soccer) and Graczyk earning Second-Team notice and Hegemann gaining Third-Team distinction. Detroit's Parker and UW-Green Bay's Stephanie Gross both capped their careers as First-Team selections in women's soccer, with Butler senior Paul Mongillo claiming Second-Team honors in men's soccer.

Thirteen other student-athletes gained Academic All-District acclaim from CoSIDA, including UW-Milwaukee senior Steve Sperl, Detroit senior Jason Massoglia and Loyola junior Markian Zyga in men's soccer, and Butler sophomore Angie Muir, UW-Milwaukee junior Joanna Severson and UW-Green Bay senior Dixie Schubert in women's soccer. The volleyball honor roll featured seven League representatives, with Hegemann joined by the UW-Green Bay tandem of Slinger and senior Sarah Rauen plus Loyola teammates in Deelo and junior Jennifer White, Butler sophomore Nina Inic and Wright State junior Tara Geegan.

Ten players were honored for the academic success by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in 2006, including two athletes earning NSCAA Scholar All-America distinction. Parker and Graczyk were First-Team national selections on the women's side, with Gross and Meier each recognized with Second-Team honors.

Meier led a group of three League honorees on the All North/Central Region Scholar-Athlete First Team, along with Massoglia and UIC senior Derek Kosek, while Bode and Sperl were Second-Team picks. The women's First-Team All-Central Region unit included Graczyk and Parker, with Gross on the Second Team and UW-Milwaukee senior Stacey Faude joining Loyola junior Heather Lau on the Third Team.

The NSCAA also honors teams that maintain a composite grade-point average of 3.00 or higher for the academic year. This fall, seven Horizon League institutions received a total of nine NSCAA Team Academic Awards. The Horizon League was the only conference to boast two institutions with dual accolades (Loyola and UW-Milwaukee had both teams honored), and that distinction could become even more pronounced when Valparaiso University joins the League in 2007. Valpo also had both teams recognized in 2006.

Butler, Detroit, UW-Green Bay, Wright State and Youngstown State University also earned team distinction on the women's side from the soccer coaches' association.

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2006 Horizon League Team and Individual Accomplishments

NCAA Championship Performances

Men's Cross Country
Butler -- 25th among 31 teams

Individual Performances
35---Scott Overall, 31:42.0; 137---Darren Gauson, 32:56.5; 173---Alex Haines, 33:22.5; 181---Richard Kay, 33:29.2; 182---JustinRoeder, 33:29.6; 215---Andy Rayner, 34:01.3; 237---Sam Jacobs, 34:39.9

Men's Soccer
First Round: UIC 3, Western Illinois 0; Northern Illinois 1, Loyola 0 (OT)
Second Round: Notre Dame 1, UIC 0

Women's Soccer
First Round: UW-Milwaukee 0, Michigan 0 (UWM 5-3 in PKs); Florida 2, Loyola 0
Second Round: Notre Dame 1, UW-Milwaukee 0

Volleyball
Iowa State 3, UW-Milwaukee 0

Individual National and Regional Awards

Men's Soccer
Steve Bode, UW-Milwaukee: NSCAA Scholar All-North/Central Region Second Team, CoSIDA Academic All-District V.
Jovan Bubonja, UIC: NSCAA All-Great Lakes First Team, College Soccer News All-Freshman Second Team.
John DeVae, Butler: NSCAA All-Great Lakes Third Team.
Pavle Dundjer, UIC: NSCAA All-Great Lakes Second Team.
Iradj Farahmand, Loyola: NSCAA All-Great Lakes Second Team.
Braden Fleak, Wright State: NSCAA All-Great Lakes Third Team, College Soccer News All-Freshman Second Team.
Keum Sung Kim, Loyola: NSCAA All-Great Lakes Second Team.
Derek Kosek, UIC: NSCAA Scholar All-North/Central Region First Team.
Jason Massoglia, Detroit: NSCAA All-Great Lakes Second Team, NSCAA Scholar All-North/Central Region First Team, CoSIDA Academic All-District IV.
Billy Meier, UW-Milwaukee: CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team, NSCAA Scholar All-America Second Team, NSCAA All-Great Lakes First Team.
Paul Mongillo, Butler: CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team, CoSIDA Academic All-District V.
Daniel O'Brien, UW-Green Bay: NSCAA All-Great Lakes Second Team.
Joshua Okoampa, UW-Green Bay: NSCAA All-America Third Team.
Tonci Skroce, UIC: NSCAA All-America Second Team; College Soccer News All-America Third Team.
Steve Sperl, UW-Milwaukee: NSCAA Scholar All-North/Central Region Second Team, CoSIDA Academic All-District V.
Cesar Zambrano, UIC: NSCAA All-Great Lakes Second Team.
Markian Zyga, Loyola: CoSIDA Academic All-District V.

Women's Soccer
Steph Comisar, Wright State: NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Third Team.
Stacey Faude, UW-Milwaukee: NSCAA Scholar All-Central Region Third Team.
Ginny Graczyk, UW-Milwaukee: NSCAA Scholar All-America Second Team, Soccer Buzz All-America Third Team, NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region, CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team.
Stephanie Gross, UW-Green Bay: CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team, NSCAA Scholar All-Central Region Second Team, Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes Region Third Team.
Erin Kane, UW-Milwaukee: Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes Region Second Team.
Heather Lau, Loyola: NSCAA Scholar All-Central Region Third Team.
Angie Muir, Butler: CoSIDA Academic All-District V Second Team.
Cynthia Morote-Ariza, Loyola: NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team, Soccer Buzz Freshman All-America Second Team, Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes Region Second Team.
Mary Parker, Detroit: CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team, NSCAA Scholar All-America Third Team, Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes Region First Team.
Jess Rooma, Wright State: NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Third Team, Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes Region Third Team.
Dixie Schubert, UW-Green Bay: CoSIDA Academic All-District V Second Team.
Joanna Severson, UW-Milwaukee: CoSIDA Academic All-District V First Team.
Sarah Teegarden, UW-Milwaukee: NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Third Team, Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes Region First Team.
Jackie Vera, Loyola: Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes Region Freshman Team.
Louise Vraney, UW-Milwaukee: Soccer Buzz All-Great Lakes Region Freshman Team.

Volleyball
Ann Deelo, Loyola: CoSIDA Academic All-District V Second Team.
Leanne Felsing, UW-Milwaukee: AVCA All-America Honorable Mention, AVCA All-Midwest Region.
Tara Geegan, Wright State: CoSIDA Academic All-District IV Second Team.
Cheryl Hegemann, UW-Milwaukee: AVCA All-America Honorable Mention, AVCA All-Midwest Region, CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team.
Nina Inic, Butler: CoSIDA Academic All-District V Third Team.
Sarah Rauen, UW-Green Bay: CoSIDA Academic All-District V First Team.
Betty Slinger, UW-Green Bay: AVCA All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention, CoSIDA Academic All-District V First Team.
Ambria Springer, UIC: AVCA All-America Honorable Mention, AVCA All-Midwest Region.
Jennifer White, Loyola: CoSIDA Academic All-District V Second Team.