July 26, 2006
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Mike Tortora has captured the Patriot League's most prestigious honor, earning the distinction of 2006 Patriot League Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The award, which was selected by the Patriot League's Sports Information Directors, was announced Wednesday.
Tortora was one of 12 nominees for the award, after being named the Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He joined classmate Maurice Bennett '06, the Patriot League Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year, in the hunt for the conference's top honor.
This year marks the first time in Patriot League history a student-athlete from Lafayette has earned the title of Patriot League Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and is just the second time a men's soccer player has won the award (Colgate's Brendan Skoniezcki '01). Alison Fisher '01, a two-sport star who competed in field hockey and lacrosse at Lafayette, claimed the honor on the women's side in 2001.
Tortora graduated from Lafayette with a 3.95 cumulative grade-point average and a degree in Economics and Business. Spending his final semester at Lafayette helping teach a section of Economics 101, he also performed EXCEL Scholar research and served as a peer mentor. Even before receiving his degree, Tortora landed the top entry-level position for finance at CitiGroup in New York.
The team captain posted a perfect 4.0 grade-point average during the 2005 fall semester, while occupying the goal for a Lafayette program that won its sixth Patriot League Championship title and earned its fourth NCAA appearance. Tortora was named the 2005 Patriot League Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player for posting two shutouts and tallying a crucial save against Lehigh in a semifinal shootout. The Second-Team All-Patriot League selection owned a 0.90 goals against average and an .813 save percentage during the 2005 season with seven shutouts.
Tortora was also the male recipient of Lafayette's Class of 1913 Trophy, which is presented annually to the senior male and female student-athletes who have attained the greatest distinction both as an athlete and a scholar as voted on by the head coaches and administration.
