Oct. 30, 2012
Colorado Springs, Colo. — New Mexico senior Rachel Montoya has been UNM’s heart and soul all season long. The rest of the league’s head coaches saw the same thing Kit Vela sees all the time, as Montoya was named First Team All-Mountain West as the All-MW teams were announced by league officials.
Along with Montoya, Sinead Fleming earned second team honors. Both seniors were the only two Lobos named to the 22-member All-Mountain West team, despite finishing the season as the league’s No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.
San Diego State, the undefeated league champion, led the way with five players on the First Team, including Offensive Player of the Year Megan Jurado and Defensive Player of the Year Haley Painter. San Diego State, which is ranked No. 6 in the latest NSCAA poll, saw its head coach Mike Friesen earn top honors as Coach of the Year.
The other individual award went to Boise State’s Brooke Heidemann for Freshman of the Year.
Montoya truly has been the “Lobo Warrior” as head coach Kit Vela calls her, leading the team with five goals and four assists. She was the MW Player of the Week just nine days ago when she willed UNM to a pair of conference wins, assisting on game-winning goals in a 1-0 win over Air Force and the 2-1 win over Wyoming.
Sinead Fleming was named to the league’s Second Team |
Fleming, in her first year as a full-time starter, has been UNM’s best defender, anchoring down the left side of the pitch on most days. She was a key reason for UNM’s school record shutout streak earlier this season.
Others on the first team included Tiffany Hurst, Carli Johnson, and Hannah Keane of SDSU, Caitlin Allen, Courtney Botelho, Macy Jo Harrison, and Jenn Wolfe from UNLV, Heidemann from Boise State, and Fresno State’s Callie Hancock.
All told, SDSU led the league with six all-conference selections, followed by UNLV and Boise State with five each. Fresno State and New Mexico each had two honorees, and Air Force and Nevada had one apiece.
The Lobos will play the winner of the Boise State/Nevada game in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament, hosted by San Diego State, on Friday, Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. Pacific Time, 5 p.m. Mountain Time.
2012 WOMEN’S SOCCER FIRST TEAM ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST* Name Cl. Pos. TeamBrooke HeidemannFr.MFBoise StateCallie HancockSr.FFresno StateRachel MontoyaSr.MFNew MexicoTiffany HurstSr.D/MFSan Diego StateCarli JohnsonJr.MFSan Diego StateMegan JuradoSr.F/MFSan Diego StateHannah KeaneSo.FSan Diego StateHaley PalmerJr.DSan Diego StateCaitlin AllenSr.DUNLVCourtney BotelhoJr.MFUNLVMacy Jo HarrisonSr.MFUNLVJenn WolfeJr.FUNLV*Due to a tie in the voting, 12 players were selected to the first team.2012 WOMEN’S SOCCER SECOND-TEAM ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST Name Cl. Pos. TeamFelicia SturgeonSo.MFAir ForceLauren HickokSr.MFBoise StateKaty OehringJr.MFBoise StateMandy NaderSr.DBoise StateShannon SchuerenSo.MFBoise StateVanessa GonzalezSr.MF/FFresno StateChrisalyn FonteSo.MFNevadaSinead FlemingSr.DNew MexicoRachael McGlinchySr.DSan Diego StateKylie WassellJr.GKUNLVMW Offensive Player of the Year: Megan Jurado, Sr., F/MF, San Diego State MW Defensive Player of the Year: Haley Palmer Jr., D, San Diego State MW Freshman of the Year: Brooke Heidemann, MF, Boise State MW Coach of the Year: Mike Friesen, San Diego State