BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for football, volleyball, and soccer on Monday. Student-athletes from Augsburg, Bethel, Gustavus, Saint John's, Saint Mary's, and St. Olaf claimed the Conference's weekly honors.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by the Conference's sports information directors and selected by MIAC staff. Throughout the fall season, team sports (football, soccer, and volleyball) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (cross country and golf) announced on Tuesday afternoons. The winners of the latest Athlete of the Week awards are listed below, along with details on their outstanding performances.
Following the team's 4-1 victory over UW-Stout, the Saint Mary's men's soccer team earned its first Player of the Week recognition of the season.
Thomas Laaksonen claimed his first career Athlete of the Week honor, being named MIAC Offensive Player of the Week.
MIAC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Thomas Laaksonen
Saint Mary's University
So. | Forward
Victoria, Minn. / Holy Family
Thomas Laaksonen tallied five second-half points in the Cardinals' 4-1 win over UW-Stout on 10/8. Laaksonen evened the score at 1-1 in the 52nd minute before adding an insurance goal in the 78th and assisting on the final SMU goal five minutes later. It was the first multi-goal game of Laaksonen's collegiate career and his third multi-point game of the season.
