The 2011 Big West Women’s Soccer All-Conference Team featured recipients from the top four finishers in the regular season standings. Long Beach State forward Nadia Link captured Offensive Player of the Year honors and teammate Shawna Gordon claimed Midfielder of the Year accolades. UC Irvine’s CoCo Goodson earned her second straight Defensive Player of the Year award while teammate Cami Privett took home Freshman of the Year hardware. In addition, Cal State Northridge junior Cynthia Jacobo was recognized as the Goalkeeper of the Year and MaryClaire Robinson of UC Davis was named the Coach of the Year.
Link (Rowland Heights, Calif./Walnut HS) led the Big West in goals (15), points (40) and game-winning goals (6) to join Kim Silos (2006) as Long Beach State recipients of the conference’s top offensive honor. She also tied for the conference lead in assists with 10. Link recorded either an assist or a goal in 14 of 21 matches, and she enjoyed one stretch in which she scored a goal in nine of 12 contests. A prime force in helping Long Beach State set a single-season record for goals scored (46), the junior is the first 49er to reach double figure goals and assists in the same season since the program was reinstated in 1998. In addition, Link’s 40 points rank fifth all-time in Big West single-season annals, while her 15 goals and 10 helpers are both tied for seventh in the record book.
Gordon (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Los Osos HS) continued a tradition of Long Beach State midfield dominance as a 49er has now won the award four times in the last eight years. The senior directed the potent 49er offense and ranked fifth with 24 points on seven goals and 10 assists. A three-time All-Big West First Team selection, Gordon’s 10 assists tie her for tops in the conference this season and seventh all-time in Big West single-season annals. Gordon had one of the finest performances in league history as her four assists against Saint Mary’s on Sept. 23 ranked as the second-most for a single game. She also had a game-winning assist in Long Beach State’s Big West Tournament title-clinching victory against UC Irvine.
Goodson (Ramona, Calif./Texas) is the only repeat honoree for a major award as the top conference defender. The senior anchored a UCI backline which tied for the Big West lead in fewest goals allowed (18) and helped the team to eight shutouts. Goodson also contributed offensively with 11 points on three goals and five assists. She tied for seventh in the Big West in assists, coming up big with a helper in each of UCI’s final three regular season games. The Anteaters won all three games to clinch the conference regular season crown for the second year in a row.
Privett (Bakersfield, Calif./Frontier HS) is the first UC Irvine recipient of the Freshman of the Year award. On a club with several weapons, she emerged to become UCI’s third-leading scorer with 14 points. She posted five goals, including a game-winner back on Sept. 25 against upcoming NCAA Tournament first round opponent San Diego. The economical Privett made the most of her opportunities as five of her nine shots on goal this season found the back of the net.
Jacobo (Arleta, Calif./Granada Hills HS) secured the second major award of her career after being named the league’s Freshman of the Year in 2009. Recognized as this year’s premier goalkeeper, the junior started 18 games and compiled a 1.47 goals against average, 60 saves and a .698 save percentage. Jacobo posted four shutouts, including against No. 22 Long Beach State in a 1-0 win on Oct. 14.
UC Davis experienced one of the best turnarounds of any program in Big West history under the watch of MaryClaire Robinson. In her 20th year at the helm of the Aggie program, Robinson led the Aggies to an 11-7-1 overall record and a tie for third place in the Big West standings with a 4-3-1 mark. The 11 victories, in addition to setting a Division I school record, represented a four-win improvement over the 2010 season. Robinson guided her Aggies to their first Big West Tournament appearance despite being picked to finish eighth in the preseason coaches poll.
UC Irvine led all Big West schools with five first-team all-conference selections. Long Beach State chipped in with three first-team recipients while fellow Big West Tournament participants Cal State Northridge and UC Davis had two apiece. The first team consisted seven seniors, five juniors and one sophomore. Long Beach State senior Shawna Gordon and UC Irvine senior Judy Christopher became three-time first-team all-conference honorees. Nadia Link of Long Beach State, UC Irvine’s CoCo Goodson and Aisha Lott of UC Davis earned first-team status for the second time in their careers.
The complete 2011 All-Big West Women’s Soccer Team can be viewed by clicking on the link at the top of the page:
2011 ALL-BIG WEST WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM
| FIRST TEAM |
| Player |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Heidi Farran |
Cal State Northridge |
Senior |
Forward |
San Pedro, Calif. |
| Lexi Kopf |
UC Irvine |
Senior |
Forward |
Sonora, Calif. |
| Natalia Ledezma |
UC Irvine |
Sophomore |
Forward |
La Mirada, Calif. |
| +Nadia Link |
Long Beach State |
Junior |
Forward |
Rowland Heights, Calif. |
| ^Judy Christopher |
UC Irvine |
Senior |
Midfielder |
Ontario, Calif. |
| ^Shawna Gordon |
Long Beach State |
Senior |
Midfielder |
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. |
| Lisa Kemp |
UC Davis |
Senior |
Midfielder |
Eden Prairie, Minn. |
| Cici Kobinski |
Cal Poly |
Junior |
Midfielder |
Santa Clara, Calif. |
| Alex Balcer |
Long Beach State |
Junior |
Defender |
Tucson, Ariz. |
| Sarah Devine |
UC Irvine |
Junior |
Defender |
San Diego, Calif. |
| +CoCo Goodson |
UC Irvine |
Senior |
Defender |
Ramona, Calif. |
| +Aisha Lott |
UC Davis |
Senior |
Defender |
Milpitas, Calif. |
| Cynthia Jacobo |
Cal State Northridge |
Junior |
Goalkeeper |
Arleta, Calif. |
| SECOND TEAM |
| Player |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Melissa Fernandez |
Cal State Northridge |
Junior |
Forward |
Granada Hills, Calif. |
| Ann Marie Tangorra |
Cal State Fullerton |
Junior |
Forward |
Arcadia, Calif. |
| Kristina Wavomba |
Pacific |
Senior |
Forward |
Encinitas, Calif. |
| Erin Ortega |
UC Santa Barbara |
Junior |
Midfielder |
Santa Clarita, Calif. |
| Cami Privett |
UC Irvine |
Freshman |
Midfielder |
Bakersfield, Calif. |
| Brielle Slepicoff |
Cal State Northridge |
Senior |
Midfielder |
Saugus, Calif. |
| Alex Topp |
Pacific |
Senior |
Midfielder |
San Diego, Calif. |
| Alyssa Benjamin |
UC Santa Barbara |
Senior |
Defender |
Petaluma, Calif. |
| Caitlin Mellano |
Cal State Fullerton |
Senior |
Defender |
Fullerton, Calif. |
| Jordan Nelson |
Long Beach State |
Junior |
Defender |
Garden Grove, Calif. |
| Katie Russ |
Cal State Northridge |
Junior |
Defender |
Canyon Country, Calif. |
| Kaitlyn Gustaves |
Long Beach State |
Senior |
Goalkeeper |
Long Beach, Calif. |
| HONORABLE MENTION |
| Player |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Tiffany Gummow |
Cal Poly |
Senior |
Forward |
Los Gatos, Calif. |
| Nicole Hubbard |
Long Beach State |
Senior |
Forward |
Lakewood, Calif. |
| Allison Kelly |
UC Davis |
Junior |
Forward |
Sacramento, Calif. |
| Sara Lancaster |
Cal Poly |
Freshman |
Forward |
Reno, Nev. |
| Allie Barbara |
Cal State Northridge |
Senior |
Midfielder |
Chula Vista, Calif. |
| Angelica Figueroa |
Pacific |
Senior |
Midfielder |
Linden, Calif. |
| Deborah Musa |
UC Riverside |
Senior |
Midfielder |
La Verne, Calif. |
| Brittni Beeman |
Pacific |
Sophomore |
Defender |
San Diego, Calif. |
| Laura Hogan |
Pacific |
Senior |
Defender |
Poway, Calif. |
| Jennifer Randazzo |
UC Irvine |
Freshman |
Goalkeeper |
San Jose, Calif. |
| +Two-time All-Big West First Team selection |
| ^ Three-time All-Big West First Team selection |
2011 Big West Goalkeeper Of The Year
Cynthia Jacobo, Cal State Northridge |
2011 Big West Offensive Player Of The Year
Nadia Link, Long Beach State |
2011 Big West Midfielder Of The Year
Shawna Gordon, Long Beach State |
2011 Big West Defensive Player Of The Year
CoCo Goodson, UC Irvine |
2011 Big West Coach Of The Year
MaryClaire Robinson, UC Davis |
2011 Big West Freshman Of The Year
Cami Privett, UC Irvine |