Four men’s soccer players earn All-IIAC honors

INDIANOLA, Iowa – Four Simpson men's soccer players earned All-Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) honors for their performance during the 2013 season, following a vote of the league's eight head coaches.

2013 All-IIAC Men's Soccer Team

Midfielder Marcus Varnum and forward Mitchell White represented Simpson on the All-IIAC First Team while defender Matt Loney and forward Tyler Neumann were named to the All-IIAC Second Team.

A sophomore from Ankeny, Iowa (Ankeny), Varnum was an honorable mention all-conference pick a year ago. In 2013, he ranked third on the team in points (10) and tied for second in assists (4). Varnum scored three goals and served as the catalyst for a Simpson offense that ranked second in the league in shots per game (17.38) and third in goals (44).

A junior from Decorah, Iowa (Decorah), White earns his first all-conference accolade after leading the league in points (32) and goals (14). He also had four game-winners and went 3-for-3 on penalty kicks. He earned IIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors Sept. 22 after a week in which he registered his second career hat trick as part of a 5-1 win over Grinnell. At season's end, White is within reach of Simpson career records for points and goals. His 34 career goals rank second at Simpson, two shy of Angel Salcido's record of 36 (2002-05), and his 74 points rank fifth, 15 shy of Salcido's record of 89.

A junior from Ankeny, Iowa (Ankeny), Loney started all 21 games for the Storm and was the top defensive player on a team that turned in six clean sheets on the year.

A sophomore from Johnston, Iowa (Johnston), Neumann was also a second team all-conference pick a year ago. He followed up a sensational freshman campaign with another impressive season, finishing second on the team in goals (9), and leading the team in assists (6) and game-winners (5). Neumann had two, multi-goal games and led the team with six goals in conference play.

Third-year head coach Rick Isaacson and the Storm went 12-7-2 in 2013, taking fourth in the Iowa Conference with a 4-3 record. Simpson beat Dubuque 2-1 in the first round of the IIAC Tournament before bowing out with a 1-0 loss to conference champion and nationally-ranked, Loras.

Simpson went 7-0-2 to start the season, the longest unbeaten streak to start a season in school history.