COLORADO Springs, Colo. – The Mountain West Conference released its all-conference and yearly awards on Monday, and the University of New Mexico, co-champions of the league, garnered five recipients with three being named to the first team to match a program-best.
OFFICIAL MW RELEASE
Representing the Lobos as 2018 All-Mountain West selections were Jessie Hix, Gwen Maly and Jennifer Muñoz on the first team, while Alesia Garcia and Jessica Nelson were named to the second team. Garcia, a freshman, was also honored on the All-Newcomer Team.
The five total All-Mountain West selections bests last year’s total by one, and is the second-most in program history. As mentioned previously, the three first team honorees matches the most in a season for the program as in 2010 UNM had Jennifer Williams, Kellie Cornell and Amanda Collins all make first team.
Jessie Hix
A junior product of Eldorado High, Hix is now a two-time All-Mountain West First Team selection after earning the honor a year ago as a sophomore. This season, Hix continued to be one of the most talented and dominant midfielders in the conference, especially in the air.
To this point, Hix has scored four goals and dished out three assists to total 11 points. Her overall point total is tied for ninth in the MW while her points per game ranks sixth. Additionally, her total goals are also tied for ninth within the league.
Hix has played and started in 15 of the 18 games and logged nearly 1,300 minutes on the field thus far. In Mountain West play, Hix has registered one goal and two assists, but is always a threat on the field, both offensively and defensively.
Gwen Maly
Maly, a redshirt sophomore from Lake Forest, Calif., has had a breakout season for the Lobos. She currently leads the team and ranks in a tie for second in the conference in goals scored with seven. Maly has also added an assist to her ledger to total 15 points. Her point total is currently fourth-best in the conference.
One of the top offensive threats on the league’s most potent offense, Maly has played in 17 games and made 11 starts. Her top offensive game came against Utah State when she scored a pair of goals. That sparked a four-goal over three-game run for Maly that saw single goals against UNLV and Air Force.
Nearly all of her offensive production has come in Mountain West play as Maly has scored six goals and notched her lone assist on the season. She is currently second in league-only play in goals and points.
Jennifer Muñoz
A senior captain, Muñoz is a leader in more ways than one for the Mountain West’s top offense this season. In her final collegiate campaign, the Mission Viejo, Calif. native has scored four goals and notched five assists.
Her goal total is tied for third on the team, while her assists are tops. She also ranks tied for third in the Mountain West in assists. A starter in all 18 regular season games, Muñoz is second on the team in minutes played with 1,447.
In her most-recent game, Muñoz scored a pair of goals for the first time in her career as she helped the Lobos secure a share of the Mountain West Regular Season Championship. Her stellar individual performance also garnered Muñoz Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Alesia Garcia
One of the top newcomers not only on the team, but in the Mountain West, true freshman Alesia Garcia was lauded as such by being named All-Mountain West Second Team as well as to the All-Newcomer Team. A rookie from Aurora, Colo., Garcia has got her career off to a resounding start.
She is currently second on the team in goals scored with six. Four of those have been game-winners for the Lobos. In just her first season, Garcia already ranks in a tie for eighth on the UNM career list for game-winning goals.
Among the Mountain West, Garcia ranks in the Top-10 individually in Points (T-7th, 12), Goals (T-5th, 6) and Game-Winning Goals (3rd, 4).
Jessica Nelson
A year after being named to the All-Newcomer Team, Jessica Nelson was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team for her defensive efforts. The senior native of Tucson, Ariz. is only in her second year with the Lobos, but her impact has been significant.
Having started in all 18 games thus far, Nelson has logged the most minutes on the team with 1,595. A reliable fixture on the Lobo defense, Nelson has played at least 90 minutes 11 times this season.
A team captain, Nelson has helped guide a UNM defensive effort that has allowed 23 goals and notched four shutouts.
While known for her defensive prowess, Nelson also has an impact offensively as she employs a flip throw that acts as a service in the box for the Lobos. To that end, Nelson has been able to register two assists.
