Aug. 9, 2013
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's soccer team picked up all four major Mountain West preseason awards and landed five on the all-conference squad, College Sports Madness revealed Friday.
Junior Hannah Keane was tabbed the offensive player of the year and senior Haley Palmer garnered preseason defensive player-of-the-year accolades. Erika Leal was named the league's top freshman, while Mike Friesen was recognized as the preseason coach of the year.
Joining Keane and Palmer on the all-league first team was senior defender Carli Johnson. Juniors Haley Locker and Kelsey Booth were placed on the second team and were two of four forwards on the 13-player list.
Keane is the Aztecs' top returning scorer after posting seven goals and adding seven assists in 2012. Palmer is the reigning MW defensive player of the year and Friesen is coming off his own season in which he was named the league's top coach. Leal, meanwhile, is Carlsbad, Calif., native who can play midfielder and forward.
Johnson is coming off a season in which she played all but 19 minutes and wound up scoring twice and assisting on four goals. As for Locker and Booth, the duo returns as the team's second- and third-leading scorers. Locker posted four goals and six assists last season with Booth contributing three goals and three assists in helping SDSU post the best record in the nation at 21-2-1 and reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
San Diego State, which is in the midst of its fall camp, will hit the pitch on Friday, Aug. 16, for an exhibition at Cal State Fullerton. The friendly is slated for a 6 p.m. PT start. The Aztecs' season opener is Friday, Aug. 23, vs. USC at nearby USD (5 p.m. PT).