DENVER - Regular season conference champion SMU places six on the 2002 all Western Athletic Conference first team. Freshman forward Natasha Kai of Hawai`i picks up two honors, being named both the Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. This is the first time that the same person has won both awards in the same season. UTEP head coach, Kevin Cross, was named Coach of the Year by his peers after a 15-2 season.
Cross, a graduate of Austin College, led the Miners to a 15-2 mark, 6-2 in conference play. The Miners began the season 12-0, and lead the nation in goals per match (4.53) and total goals (77).
Kai, a native of Kahuku, Oahu, grabbed both top individual honors with a record-breaking season. The freshman forward scored 10 goals in conference play, breaking the old mark of nine, averaging 1.25 goals per match. She tallied 23 points in conference, also a new WAC record. She was the main force in the late season dominance by Hawai`i, scoring four game-winning goals. Kai was named WAC Player of Week three times (Sept. 3, Oct. 14, Oct. 28), scoring two hat tricks in WAC play.
SMU landed its third straight WAC title behind the play of its defense. Sophomore goalkeeper Erin McLeod earned her second-straight first team honor, leading the league with four shutouts. Preseason Player of the Year, senior forward Tara Comfort and 2001 Freshman of the Year Jill Heinemann, were both named to the first team. Three of the Mustangs back line were also selected. Defenders Sasha Andrews, Amanda Jordan and Diana Kelm are all first teamers.
Hawai`i and UTEP each placed two on the first team, while Tulsa rounds out the team with one. Along with Kai, midfielder Erin Quattromani, who set a new WAC record for assists with seven in conference play, is the only other Rainbow Wahine on the first team. From UTEP, senior forward Holly Cohen and senior midfielder Kelly Parker, were both named all-WAC. Cohen led the league in points this season with 45, while Parker's 17 assists are a new WAC single-season record. Freshman Danielle Fauteux posted three hat tricks being one of two freshmen on the first team.
The WAC Championship tournament begins Thursday, November 7, with four teams playing in the quarterfinal round at the Rice Soccer Stadium in Houston, Texas. Fourth-seeded Tulsa takes on fifth-seeded Fresno State at 5:30 p.m. Central time, while third-seeded Hawai`i and sixth-seeded Rice face off at 7:30 p.m. The winners advance to the semifinals to play top-seeded SMU and second-seed UTEP, respectively.
First Team all-WAC
Name Pos. School Year
Natasha Kai F Hawai`i Fr.
Tara Comfort F SMU Sr.
Holly Cohen F UTEP Sr.
Danielle Fauteux F Tulsa Fr.
Erin Quattromani MF Hawai`i Sr.
Jill Heinemann MF SMU So.
Kelly Parker MF UTEP Sr.
Sasha Andrews D SMU So.
Amanda Jordan D SMU So.
Diana Kelm D SMU Sr.
Erin McLeod GK SMU So.
Second Team all-WAC
Name Pos. School Year
Arlene Devitt F Hawai`i Sr.
Kim Harvey F SMU Jr.
Miranda Cuthbertson F UTEP Sr.
K. Nokso-Koivisto MF Fresno St. Fr.
Erin Sayegusa MF Fresno St. Jr.
Kaletia Roberts MF UTEP Fr.
Jamie German MF Tulsa Fr.
Noelle Takemoto D Hawai'i Sr.
Kelly Potysman D Rice So.
Kat McShane D UTEP Sr.
Mary-tyler Wahl GK Fresno St. Sr.
Mahie Atay GK Hawai`i Fr.
Player of the Year - Natasha Kai, Fr., Hawai`i
Freshman of the Year - Natasha Kai, Hawai`i
Coach of the Year - Kevin Cross, UTEP