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BAY CITY, Mich. -- Tiffin University junior midfielder Rhys Cannella (Luton, England) was named the 2009 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) men’s soccer “Offensive Player of the Year,” while teammate, senior defender Tony Iyayi (Lagos, Nigeria), was named “Defensive Player of the Year” in balloting conducted by the league’s coaches.

Ashland University forward Mitch Deyhle (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) was honored with the league’s “Freshman of the Year” award, while John Hall, who guided Ashland to the 2009 GLIAC Championship, earned “Coach of the Year” accolades.

Cannella has enjoyed an outstanding 2009 season, currently leading the GLIAC in points, with 29, and goals scored, with 12. A Second Team All-GLIAC performer in 2008 and a 2009 GLIAC Player of the Week honoree, Cannella ranks fourth in the Midwest Region in goals per game and fifth in points per game. He also leads a Dragons offense which is fourth in the region in scoring.

Ayayi has been the primary center back for the Dragons in 2009. A First Team All-GLIAC performer in 2008, Iyayi moved from forward to sweeper in 2009 and leads the defense which is fourth in the region in shutout percentage. He has also provided offense from the defensive position, scoring five goals for Tiffin this season.

Deyhle became a staple for Ashland on corner kicks as the server in the second half of the season. In the Eagles’ last seven matches, he has tallied all four of his assists and his lone goal. He is also part of an AU defense that has only allowed nine goals on the season. Deyhle has helped the Eagles to their current ranking of fifth in the nation in goals against average at 0.47.

Hall earns his third GLIAC Men’s Soccer “Coach of the Year” award (2005, 2008) after leading Ashland to its second consecutive regular season GLIAC title. After leading his team to a 15-4-2 mark last season, his Eagles currently sit at 11-2-5 this season. He is in his ninth season coaching the Eagles and is the all-time leader in wins with 87. Hall has taken the Eagles to three NCAA Division II playoff appearances.

Joining Cannella and Ayayi on the All-GLIAC first team are: sophomore forward Ashton Campbell and sophomore midfielder Michael O’Neill of Tiffin; senior forward Steve Hufstader of Northwood University; senior forward Kevin Fox of Saginaw Valley State University; junior forward Ross Ashley, senior midfielder James Livingston, senior defenders Luke Brookfield and Michael Kennedy, and senior goal keeper Blaize Lishewski of Ashland.

The complete listing of the 2009 All-GLIAC men’s soccer teams and postseason awards are below: