Aug. 29, 2005
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State women's soccer freshman Jen Mello earned Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors on Monday. Mello became the first Aztec freshman to win the award since Kim Castellanos in 2000.
Mello, a native of Pleasanton, Calif., scored the game-winning goal in her first game at SDSU in a 2-0 win over Cal State Fullerton (No. 15 in the region) when her shot from 20 yards out beat the Titan goalkeeper into the upper-right corner of the net. Against Northern Arizona on Sunday, Mello gained her first assist of the season when she sent a perfectly-placed cross to classmate Mariko Strickland, who slid the ball into the right corner of the net to tie the game at one apiece. The Aztecs would go on to win the game, 2-1.
After two games, Mello leads the squad with three points (one goal, one assist) and is fourth among field players with 153 minutes played (second among freshmen).
Last season, four SDSU players were named conference players of the week, including current junior Jennifer Klunder (Oct. 18, 2004).
The Aztecs (2-0), who are off to their best start since 2001, will travel to play three 2004 NCAA tournament teams in three successive games, beginning with a match against No. 4 Portland on Friday in Seattle, Wash. They will then play at Washington (Sunday) and at ninth-ranked Nebraska on Sept. 6.