ON TAP IN THE WAC ? Fresno State returns to the NCAA tournament for the second time in four years. The Bulldogs dropped a 5-0 match to No.2-seeded Santa Clara the last time the team went to the tournament.
The 2008 Western Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament champion will take on UCLA on Nov. 14 in the NCAA Tournament as announced by the NCAA selection committee on Monday night. The Bruins are one of four No.1 seeds in the tournament and hold a 18-0-2 record on the season.
FRESNO STATE NCAA APPEARANCES
1999
First Round
Cal Poly 2, Fresno State 1 (@ Fresno)
2005
First Round
(2) Santa Clara 5, Fresno State 0 (@ Santa Clara)
WAC teams hold an 8-16 record in the NCAA tournament with the last win coming in 2002 when SMU defeated Texas 2-1 in the First Round.
CHAMPIONS ? Utah State locked up its first-ever WAC title after wins at Hawai?i and San Jose State two weeks ago. The Aggies finished the season undefeated and untied in conference play, something that hasn’t been done since 2001 (SMU).
JUST ONE ? The Fresno State defense, anchored by goalkeeper Kaitlyn Revel and defender Selena Gill, recorded its tenth shutout of the season in a 2-0 win against Nevada last week. The Bulldogs led the league in total goals allowed, giving up just one.
RPI UPDATE - Utah State leads the league with at 108 with Hawai?i posting a ranking of 135. Fresno State (181) and Boise State (210) round out the top four for the conference.
COLLEGE CUP
The 27th Annual Women’s College Cup will be held December 5 and 7, 2008 in Cary, North Carolina at the WakeMed Soccer Complex. Last season, the WAC had one team compete in postseason play with Hawai?i falling in the first round to Colorado. The following is a list of sites and dates for the 2008 NCAA Tournament:
First/Second Rounds (16)
November 14 and 16, 2008
On campus sites TBD
Third Rounds (8)
November 21, 22 or 23, 2008
On campus sites TBD
Quarterfinals (4)
November 28 or 29 or 30, 2008
On campus sites TBD
Women’s College Cup
December 5 and 7, 2008
Host: N.C. State University
Cary, North Carolina
SAS Soccer Park
ALL-WAC AWARDS
The 2008 women’s soccer All-WAC teams were announced Wednesday night, as selected by the conferences eight head coaches. WAC regular season champion, Utah State, placed three on the conference first team, as well as four on the second team. Aggie head coach Heather Cairns and freshman Shantel Flanary took home Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors, respectively.
Hawai?i swept the Player of the Year honors as Taryn Fukuroku was named Offensive Player of the Year and Nicole Mikula was voted Defensive Player of the Year. The Rainbow Wahine also placed three players on the first team and one on the second. This marks the second year in a row Hawaii has won both Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Fukuroku, a senior from Maui, Hawaii (Maui HS), earned her first Player of the Year honor after she scored three goals and added two assists during conference play. This marks the third time in four years the forward has earned first team honors.
Mikula, a sophomore from Richboro, Penn. (Council Rock HS), was voted Defensive Player of the Year for the first time in her career as she anchored the defense for the Rainbow Wahine. This also marks the second time she earned an all-WAC first team nod.
Flanary, a freshman from Highland, Utah (Lone Peak HS), helped lead Utah State to its first undefeated season and the regular season WAC championship. The forward led all freshmen with three goals and one assist for seven points in conference action.
Cairns, who is in her sixth season, led the Aggies to school records in overall regular-season wins (12) and conference wins (7). USU also has won a school-record seven-straight matches. Utah State finished the regular-season without a loss or tie to end the 2008 campaign 7-0. It marks the first time since 2001 that a WAC team has accomplished the feat.
1st team
Nicole Gutierrez, Sr., F, Fresno State
Taryn Fukuroku, Sr., F, Hawai?i
Candice Clark, Sr., F, Utah State
Alison Sill, Sr., MF, Fresno State
Mari Punzal, So., MF, Hawai?i
Cristen Drummond, So., MF, Nevada
Chandra Salmon, Fr., MF, Utah State
Selena Gill, Sr., D, Fresno State
Nicole Mikula, So., D, Hawai?i
Lindsey Smart, Jr., D, Utah State
Kaitlyn Revel, So., GK, Fresno State
2nd team
Shannon Saxton, So., F, Boise State
Ambree Ako, Jr., F, Hawai?i
Shantel Flanary, Fr., F, Utah State
Lauren Hansen, So., F, Utah State
Brandy Hickcox, Fr., MF, Boise State
Molly Nizzoli, Fr., MF, Fresno State
Miranda Montejo, Sr., MF, Nevada
Kendall VanDine, Fr., D, Fresno State
Patrice Godwin, Sr., D, Nevada
Alyssa Lowry, Sr., D, Utah State
Ali Griffin, Sr., GK, Utah State
Freshman of the Year ? Shantel Flanary, F, Utah State
Offensive Player of the Year ? Taryn Fukuroku, Sr., F, Hawaii
Defensive Player of the Year ? Nicole Mikula, So., D, Hawaii
Coach of the Year- Heather Cairns, Utah State