Nov. 2, 2012
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State women's soccer players Megan Jurado and Rachel Boaz were named Mountain West Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, CollegeSportsMadness.com recently announced. Head coach Mike Friesen was also honored by the website as the MW Coach of the Year.
The Aztecs had a league-best seven student-athletes earn all-Mountain West honors. Three were first-team honorees, while the other four garnered second-team accolades.
The SDSU first-team trio includes senior Megan Jurado, redshirt senior Tiffany Hurst and redshirt sophomore Rachel Boaz. Sophomores Haley Locker and Hannah Keane, along with juniors Carli Johnson and Haley Palmer landed on the all-MW second team.
A forward, Jurado is the CollegeSportsMadness.com MW Offensive Player of the Year after she was one of the main offensive weapons for the Aztecs in conference play. The senior earned the starting nod in all seven league contests and tallied a team-high 24 shots, including 11 on goal. Jurado had two game-winners in MW play and led the league in points (13) and goals (five), while tying for first in assists (three).
Boaz, a goalkeeper from Murrieta, Calif., garnered CollegeSportsMadness.com MW Defensive Player of the Year honors after putting up some great numbers in conference play. The redshirt sophomore ranked second in the league with a goals-against average of 0.47 after giving up just three goals and posting two shutouts. With the exception of games vs. Nevada and Air Force, Boaz played every minute in Mountain West action.
A product of Santa Rosa, Calif., Hurst earns first-team honors after starting all seven Mountain West contests this season. In four of those outings, the redshirt senior played the entire game. She was a part of a defense that held MW opponents to a league-low three goals, including just one goal in four home games. Hurst also contributed on the offensive end as she tallied two goals and three assists, including the game-winner vs. Nevada.
In her second year at SDSU, Locker garnered second-team all-league recognition after being a key part of SDSU's successful offense in MW play that outscored opponents by a 13-3 margin. The Ferndale, Wash., native finished the conference season with two assists in starting all seven MW contests. Locker ranked tied for third in assists (2) and assists per game (0.29).
A forward, Keane is a Mountain West second-team honoree after she proved to be an offensive force in MW action. In starting six of the seven conference games, the sophomore tallied three goals and one assist including the game-winner vs. Air Force. In MW games only, Keane's three goals are tied for second with teammate Sarah Halverson, while her seven points are tied for second with Hurst.
Johnson, a midfielder, is also a second-team selection after being a consistent contributor in Mountain West play. The Santa Rosa, Calif., native started all seven conference games and played every minute except in the Air Force contest when she played 71 of the 90 minutes. Johnson was a member of an Aztec backline that allowed just three goals and blanked four opponents during Mountain West action.
Palmer, a defender, garners MW second-team honors after starting all seven conference games and playing all 90 minutes vs. Nevada and at UNLV. Along with Johnson, Palmer was a key part of a backline that helped the Aztecs finish with a miniscule goals-against-average of 0.43 during MW play.
Friesen, in his sixth year, was voted CollegeSportsMadness.com's Mountain West Coach of the Year after guiding the Aztecs to a perfect 7-0 mark in MW play and their second conference regular-season crown. SDSU's 17 overall wins are also a new record during Friesen's tenure on Montezuma Mesa, surpassing the 15 victories amassed by the 2009 MW Tournament championship squad.
The Aztecs are the No. 1 seed in this week's MW Championship at SDSU Sports Deck. San Diego State earned a bye into the semifinal round and will play fourth-seeded UNLV on Friday at 7 p.m. PT.