Top honors were distributed among four schools to highlight the announcement of the 2009 Big West Women's Soccer All-Conference Team today. Cal Poly took home two awards as
Coral Hoover was named Goalkeeper of the Year and
Julianne Grinstead was tabbed Defender of the Year. Cal State Northridge also netted multiple top honors as
Cynthia Jacobo collected Freshman of the Year accolades and
Keith West claimed Coach of the Year. UC Santa Barbara's
Kailyn Kugler and Pacific's
Angelica Figueroa rounded out the list of honorees as Offensive Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Year, respectively.
Hoover (Corralitos, Calif./Corralitos HS), a former walk on for Cal Poly, starred in her senior season with the green and gold. She tied a Big West single-season record with 11 shutouts, including a streak of seven straight clean sheets against conference opponents. Hoover also led the Big West in saves (113) and saves per game (6.65). The 118 saves tied for eighth-most in a season in Big West history. Hoover's .919 save percentage currently ranks second in the nation and she finished the year with a 14-2-1 record. In addition to her seven shutouts against Big West foes, Hoover also blanked then-No. 7 California and Arizona from the Pac-10.
Grinstead (Danville, Calif./San Ramon Valley HS) anchored a Cal Poly defensive unit which helped generate a league-best 0.78 goals against average. The senior also was efficient on offense, tying for third on the team with four goals on 10 shots. She accounted for three game-winning goals, including the Big West Tournament semifinals against UC Irvine. Grinstead continues a long line of premier Cal Poly protectors as a Mustang has captured top defender honors in six of the last nine seasons.
Jacobo (Arleta, Calif./Granada Hills HS) emerged out of nowhere for Cal State Northridge to become the conference's top freshman performer. Originally a redshirt, Jacobo was pressed into action when the Matadors lost their two primary goalkeepers to injury at the beginning of Big West play. She was officially activated on Oct. 11 against UC Davis. She recorded her first career shutout against the Aggies and proceeded to reel off 560 straight minutes without allowing a goal. Jacobo posted additional shutouts versus UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine and Long Beach State. Her streak ended when UC Santa Barbara scored a pair of goals in the Big West Tournament semifinals.
West was recognized as the Big West's top coach after leading the Matadors to the program's best conference finish. The Matadors finished second with a 6-2-0 record and earned the right to host a Big West Tournament semifinal game. West led CSUN to a 10-10-0 overall record, marking the second time in his four-year tenure that the program collected double-digit victories. The Matadors finished strong with five wins in their last seven matches. The Matadors also were the only Big West team to hand regular season champion Cal Poly a loss in conference play.
Kugler (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente HS) earned top offensive player distinction after notching 23 points on nine goals and five assists. The junior ranked second in the Big West in points and tied for second in goals. In addition, her five assists were tied for fourth. Kugler's four game-winning goals tied her for second on the league leaderboard. Kugler inflicted the most damage during a six-game stretch in October when she had seven goals and three assists. The Gauchos posted a 5-1-0 record in that span with all five victories coming against Big West opponents. Kugler's nine goals is the most for a UCSB player since Jennifer Borcich scored 15 in 2004. It is also the sixth time a Gaucho has earned Offensive Player of the Year honors since 2001.
Figueroa (Linden, Calif./Linden HS) is the first Pacific player to nab the conference's top midfielder award. The sophomore led the team and tied for third in the Big West with 20 points in 2009. Figueroa produced a league-best eight assists and added six goals, which tied her for fifth league-wide. Figueroa also ranked fourth with 52 shots on the season. She enjoyed one stretch in which she notched an assist in six out of eight games. Figueroa also tallied three game-winning goals.
Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara led the first-team selections with three apiece. Long Beach State and Pacific also sported multiple first-teamers with two apiece. The first team had a decidedly new feel to it as 11 of the 13 members were chosen for the first time. Long Beach State's
Lindsay Bullock and UC Santa Barbara's
Jacqui Simon were the only repeat first-team choices.
The complete 2009 All-Big West Women’s Soccer Team can be viewed by clicking on the link above:
2009 ALL-BIG WEST WOMENS SOCCER TEAM
FIRST TEAM
|
| Player |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Kailyn Kugler |
UC Santa Barbara |
Junior |
Forward |
San Clemente, Calif. |
| Kylie McDonald |
UC Santa Barbara |
Junior |
Forward |
Westlake Village, Calif. |
| Farryn Townley |
Cal State Northridge |
Junior |
Forward |
Palmdale, Calif. |
| Rochelle VanBuskirk |
UC Davis |
Senior |
Forward |
Pleasant Hill, Calif. |
| +Lindsay Bullock |
Long Beach State |
Junior |
Midfielder |
Manhattan Beach, Calif. |
| Angelica Figueroa |
Pacific |
Sophomore |
Midfielder |
Linden, Calif. |
| Shawna Gordon |
Long Beach State |
Sophomore |
Midfielder |
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. |
| +Jacqui Simon |
UC Santa Barbara |
Junior |
Midfielder |
Torrance, Calif. |
| Kylee Ah Choy |
Pacific |
Junior |
Defender |
Mililani, Hawaii |
| Judy Christopher |
UC Irvine |
Sophomore |
Defender |
Ontario, Calif. |
| Julianne Grinstead |
Cal Poly |
Senior |
Defender |
Danville, Calif. |
| Carissa Voegele |
Cal Poly |
Senior |
Defender |
Livermore, Calif. |
| Coral Hoover |
Cal Poly |
Senior |
Goalkeeper |
Corralitos, Calif. |
SECOND TEAM
|
| Player |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Morgan Miller |
Cal Poly |
Junior |
Forward |
La Selva Beach, Calif. |
| Tanya Taylor |
UC Irvine |
Junior |
Forward |
Buena Park, Calif. |
| Kristina Wavomba |
Pacific |
Sophomore |
Forward |
Encinitas, Calif. |
| Sonia Espitia |
Cal State Northridge |
Junior |
Midfielder |
Paramount, Calif. |
| Julie McKee |
Cal Poly |
Freshman |
Midfielder |
Santa Ana, Calif. |
| Ashley Parks |
UC Riverside |
Senior |
Midfielder |
Etiwanda, Calif. |
| Dana Sanderlin |
UC Irvine |
Freshman |
Midfielder |
Upland, Calif. |
| Katie Fox |
Cal State Northridge |
Junior |
Defender |
Simi Valley, Calif. |
| Chantel Hubbard |
Long Beach State |
Junior |
Defender |
Torrance, Calif. |
| Nicole Romanowski |
UC Santa Barbara |
Junior |
Defender |
Coto de Caza, Calif. |
| Cynthia Jacobo |
Cal State Northridge |
Freshman |
Goalkeeper |
Arleta, Calif. |
HONORABLE MENTION
|
| Player |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Heidi Farran |
Cal State Northridge |
Sophomore |
Forward |
San Pedro, Calif. |
| Cici Kobinski |
Cal Poly |
Freshman |
Forward |
Santa Clara, Calif. |
| Maricela Padilla |
Pacific |
Freshman |
Forward |
San Jose, Calif. |
| Danielle Bitonti |
Cal State Fullerton |
Junior |
Midfielder |
Winchester, Calif. |
| Erin Ortega |
UC Santa Barbara |
Freshman |
Midfielder |
Santa Clarita, Calif. |
| Alex Topp |
Pacific |
Sophomore |
Midfielder |
San Diego, Calif. |
| Tamara Dewey |
Cal State Fullerton |
Junior |
Defender |
Murrieta, Calif. |
| Brielle Slepicoff |
Cal State Northridge |
Sophomore |
Defender |
Saugus, Calif. |
| Alexa Stringer |
UC Santa Barbara |
Sophomore |
Defender |
Danville, Calif. |
| Danielle deSeriere |
UC Irvine |
Junior |
Goalkeeper |
Cerritos, Calif. |
+Two-time All-Big West First Team selection
2009 Big West Goalkeeper Of The Year
Coral Hoover, Cal Poly
2009 Big West Offensive Player Of The Year
Kailyn Kugler, UC Santa Barbara
2009 Big West Midfielder Of The Year
Angelica Figueroa, Pacific
2009 Big West Defensive Player Of The Year
Julianne Grinstead, Cal Poly
2009 Big West Coach Of The Year
Keith West, Cal State Northridge
2009 Big West Freshman Of The Year
Cynthia Jacobo, Cal State Northridge