Loyola names 2 sophomores its top athletes

Following stellar seasons on the soccer field, two sophomores, Michael Ferguson and Cynthia Morote-Ariza, have been selected by Loyola University Chicago as its Male and Female Athlete of the Year.

Ferguson helped the Rambler men's soccer team to its first-ever outright regular-season Horizon League title, while Morote-Ariza led the women's soccer squad to its second straight NCAA tournament appearance, Athletics Director John Planek. Ferguson said.

In helping Loyola to a 10-5-4 overall record in 2007, Ferguson racked up a plethora of awards, including Horizon League Player of the Year, Horizon League Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Horizon League. The forward became Loyola's first-ever All-American when he earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Third Team honors in addition to College Soccer News All-America recognition.

Ferguson led the league in goals (15), points (32) and game-winning goals (6), while also ranking fifth in the nation with 0.79 goals per game and ninth with 1.68 points per contest.

One of the most decorated players in Loyola soccer history, Morote-Ariza already serves as the school's all-time leader with 70 points and ranks second in both goals (26) and assists (18).

Last fall, she became the first player in Horizon League history to top the conference in goals (17), assists (9) and points (43) in a single season en route to becoming the first Rambler to ever be saluted as Horizon League Player of the Year.

Morote-Ariza scored or assisted on 26 of Loyola's 40 goals (65 percent) in 2007 and broke her own single-season school standards for goals and points and tied her own mark for assists.

She elevated her play at the most crucial of times, earning Horizon League Championship Most Valuable Player honors for the second straight season as the Ramblers earned their second consecutive NCAA tournament berth.