LA JOLLA, Calif. - Five members of the UC San Diego women's soccer team earned regional accolades, National Soccer Coaches Association of America officials announced Monday.
Kristin Armstrong, Lisa Bradley, Sarah McTigue, Anne Wethe and Jessica Wi were selected to the Far West All-Region First Team. The Tritons finished their 2009 season at 15-5-2, while playing freshmen and sophomores at 10 of the 11 starting spots. After earning a first-round bye in the NCAA Division II Tournament, UCSD topped Chico State 2-1 before the Tritons' campaign ended on a penalty kick shootout with Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Armstrong stepped into a starting role this year and helped UCSD post the second-lowest goals against average (0.75) in the California Collegiate Athletic Association while recording 70 saves and six shutouts along the way.
Bradley contributed as both a midfielder and defender during 2009. The lone junior starter, Bradley often marked the opposition's top scorer in the later stages of the regular season and into the playoffs.
As UCSD's leading scorer, McTigue tallied three of her nine goals in the NCAA postseason. McTigue's two-score effort in the Tritons' second-round win against the Wildcats marked the first multi-goal game of her career. Against the Toros the next week, she scored in the 78th minute to complete the Tritons' rally back from a 2-0 deficit.
Wethe, always eager to win 50-50 balls in the air and on the ground, ended this season as the team's leader in assists with eight. Five of Wethe's 14 points in 2009 came against CSUDH, one of UCSD's top CCAA South Division rivals, including an assist on McTigue's tying goal in the final match of the season.
A year after McTigue accomplished the feat, Wi finished third on the team in points (15) as a freshman with four goals and seven assists. Named the CCAA Co-Freshman of the Year, Wi's most impressive performances included a two-goal match against Cal State East Bay and a game-tying score in the conference tournament.
The 2009 amount of Triton honorees, five, represents the highest UCSD total on the D-II level for this specific award. In 2003, the previous high of four Tritons included Molly Carlson, Megan Mendoza, Kristin Jones and Kelly Cochran. Last year Natasha Belak-Berger was named to the First Time while Jessica McGovern and Amanda Esquivel earned Second Team honors.
2009 Far West All-Region Teams
1st Team Far West All-Region
GK - Kristin Armstrong - Sophomore - UCSD
Def - Lisa Bradley - Junior - UCSD
Def - Lindsay Catton - Senior - Sonoma State
Def - Ashley Salas - Senior - Cal State San Bernardino
Def - Taylor Sawyer - Freshman - Seattle Pacific
Mid - Jessica Wi - Freshman - UCSD
Mid - Anne Wethe - Sophomore - UCSD
Mid - Alison Sward - Senior - Chico State
Mid - Janae Godoy - Senior - Seattle Pacific
Fwd - Sarah McTigue - Sophomore - UCSD
Fwd - Jocelyn Charette - Senior - Seattle Pacific
Fwd - Liz Franco - Junior - Cal State LA
2nd Team Far West All-Region
GK - Kylie Broadbent - Senior - Western Washington
Def - Carly Bliss - Junior - San Francisco State
Def - Molly Downtain - Sophomore - Chico State
Def - Caroline Hannah - Junior - Cal State LA
Def - Megan Kendall - Sophomore - Humboldt State
Mid - Justine Barclay - Sophomore - Cal Poly Pomona
Mid - Jaclyn Clark - Sophomore - Cal State San Bernardino
Mid - Kelly Irving - Senior - Western Washington
Mid - Makensie Pedrotti - Junior - Cal State Dominguez Hills
Fwd - Jessica Murphy - Sophomore - Cal State Dominguez Hills
Fwd - Amanda Johnson - Junior - Seattle Pacific
Fwd - Mary Carroll - Senior - Cal Poly Pomona
