Nov. 3, 2004
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Junior Junior Alexis Solovij has been named the 2004 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, the conference office announced Wednesday. Seniors Noelle Jouglet and Sophia Perez joined Solovij as MWC first-team selections, while junior Amanda Swiader earned second- team honors. The four all-conference selections are the most by an SDSU team since 1999, when five student athletes were named all-MWC.
Solovij, also a 2003 first-team all-MWC performer, became the first Aztec to win a conference player of the year award in SDSU's 16-year history. Solovij, a Santa Barbara native, led an Aztec defense that allowed only three goals in conference play, the fewest given up by SDSU since 1999. Solovij tied for the regular-season team lead with three goals and finished second with seven points and 24 shots.
A defender and La Mesa, Calif., native, Jouglet played a pivotal part in a defensive backfield that went 595 minutes, 44 seconds without allowing a goal, an SDSU record. On Oct. 21 after being named MWC Defensive Player of the Week, Jouglet earned national accolades when she was selected to the Soccer America Team of the Week.
Perez, a native of Bonita, Calif., put together one of the finest seasons by a goalkeeper in the program's 16-year history. In 17 regular season starts, Perez is 6-6-5 with a 0.72 goals against average. She had five consecutive shutouts from Oct. 7-22, all in MWC play, and went 594:44 without giving up a goal. On Oct. 11, Perez was named the MWC Co-Defensive Player of the Week after back-to-back shutouts at Brigham Young and Utah.
A Virginia Beach, Va. native, Swiader was on of SDSU's top defenders in the regular season. Swiader, also a 2003 second-team selection, played a large part in a defense that only gave up three goals in conference play (six games) and 17 goals all season (18 games). Swiader finished the regular season fourth on the team with four points off one goal and one assist.
The Aztecs, seeded third in the 2004 MWC Tournament, will play No. 6 New Mexico in the quarterfinals at South Stadium in Provo, Utah, at 4:30 p.m. (MST) Wednesday.