2006 MAC Hermann Trophy Winner

College: University of Notre Dame

Position: Forward

Hometown: Lake Charles, LA

Lapira led all NCAA Division I men’s scorers in points with 50 and goals with 22 as he became the first player in Notre Dame men’s soccer history to win college soccer’s top honor. This marks the second year in a row that a Louisiana native who led the nation in goal scoring has won the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. The University of Maryland’s Jason Garey won the award in 2005.

Lapira was selected as the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and was also a unanimous choice on the all-conference first team. He tallied seven multiple-goal games this season. He had a seven-game goal streak at one point, which included a stretch of five straight two-goal efforts. Lapira’s top performance was a four-goal effort in a 5-4 overtime win at No. 8 Indiana. He was named the National Player of the Week twice by College Soccer News, Top Drawer and Soccer Times.

Lapira continued his stellar play into the NCAA Tournament as he scored the game-winner in both Irish victories en route to the program’s unprecedented run to the quarterfinals. He tallied the lone goal in wins over UIC and Maryland in the second and third round, respectively. His goal against the Terrapins occurred in the double-overtime to knock off the defending NCAA champions. Lapira also notched an assist in the quarterfinals, which ended Notre Dame’s season with a 15-6-2 record.

The top runner-up vote getter was Boston College junior forward Charlie Davies (Manchester, N.H.) followed by Southern Methodist University senior midfielder Jay Needham (Fort Worth, Texas).