Dec. 14, 2009
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State women's soccer players Megan McQueeny, Cat Walker and Niki Fernandes were named to the 2009 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Pacific Region team. McQueeny and Walker were placed on the second team, while Fernandes earned third-team accolades.
Just a sophomore, McQueeny landed on the second team as a defender after playing and starting 23 games this season. The Rohnert Park, Calif., native was a part of a defensive backline that recorded 10 shutouts, including shutouts of eighth-ranked BYU in the MWC tournament championship game and San Diego in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. McQueeny and the defense allowed less than 42 percent of opponents' shots to come on goal while giving up 1.08 goals per game. Offensively, the first-team all-MWC selection scored one goal, albeit a big one, as she tallied the tying goal in the 89th minute vs. No. 13 BYU in the MWC regular season opener.
Walker, meanwhile, adds to her list of individual honors as she joins McQueeny on the second team as a forward. The MWC Offensive Player of the Year and Tournament MVP is coming off a season in which she led the team in goals (11), goals per game (0.46), points (27), points per game (1.12), shots (67), shots per game (2.79), shots on goal (29), shots on goal per game (1.21) and game-winning goals (6). Walker's five assists, meanwhile, were tied for second most on the team. Down the stretch, Walker came up big as she recorded two points or more in the final six games leading up to the Aztecs' appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Included in that run were game-winning goals against BYU in the MWC tournament final and vs. San Diego in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, both of which ended in 1-0 decisions.
On the third team is the freshman Fernandes, who was one of the most dynamic players on the West Coast. The Bountiful, Utah, native, led the squad in assists (7), assists per game (0.29), shots on goal (29) and shots on goal percentage (.592), while ranking second in goals (6), goals per game (0.25), points (19), shots (49) and shots per game (2.04). The lone forward on the third team, Fernandes played in all 24 games, while starting the final 16 contests. Her top scoring performance came against New Mexico when she tallied one goal and two assists in the Aztecs' 3-1 victory. At the conclusion of the Mountain West season, she joined McQueeny and Walker on the all-MWC first team.
All three played huge roles in San Diego State enjoying one of its finest seasons in school history. The Aztecs finished the year with a 15-4-5 record (5-0-2 MWC), won the MWC Tournament championship for the first time ever and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. During its magical run, SDSU won eight straight games and went unbeaten in 16 straight before running into a UCLA squad advanced to the College Cup. The NCAA appearance and 15 overall victories were benchmarks that had not occurred since 1999. In fact, the NCAA second round outing was the program's first since 1998, which also coincides with San Diego State's last NCAA Tournament victory.
This is the first time in San Diego State history that three players have earned NSCAA all-region accolades in the same season and the first time since 1999 that the school has had anyone earn all-region honors from the NSCAA. The last time SDSU had three players earn regional honors by any organization was in 1998 when Soccer Buzz recognized three student-athletes.