LBSU SOC-W Link Nadia 2011_11-03 BWT kicking _SteveChen - web.jpg

Record-Tying 11 Players Named To NSCAA Women's Soccer All-West Region Team

12/9/2011 12:00:00 AM

LBSU SOC-W Link Nadia 2011_11-03 BWT kicking _SteveChen - web.jpg

A total of 11 Big West players were honored on the 2011 NCAA Women's Division I All-West Region Team as presented by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

That tied the conference record for most all-region honorees initially set last season. In addition, the Big West had a record four players selected to the All-West Region First Team. Five different Big West schools appeared on the list, which also included representatives from the West Coast Conference and Western Athletic Conference.

The first-teamers hail from NCAA Tournament representatives Long Beach State and UC Irvine. Shawna Gordon and Nadia Link were recognized from the 49ers, as the duo led their team to a school record 18 victories and an appearance in the Elite Eight, marking the first time a Big West program advanced that far in the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament. Gordon was a third-team all-region selection in 2010. Long Beach State finished the season with a final ranking of No. 14 in the NSCAA poll.

The Anteaters were represented by seniors CoCo Goodson and Judy Christopher on the first team. Goodson earned her second straight selection to the first team, while Christopher moved up after being named to the second team list in 2010. UC Irvine won its second consecutive Big West regular season title and reached the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row in large part to the contributions of Goodson and Christopher. The Anteaters finished with 14 wins and spent a large portion of the 2011 season inhabiting the national rankings.

All-West Region second team honorees included Long Beach State's Alex Balcer, UC Irvine's Natalia Ledezma and Lisa Kemp of UC Davis. The Big West had four players assigned to the third team, including Cici Kobinski (Cal Poly), Stacey Fox (Cal State Fullerton), Aisha Lott (UC Davis) and Sarah Devine (UC Irvine). Lott also received third team acclaim in 2010.

NSCAA ALL-WEST REGION HONOREES

Big West players only

FIRST TEAM