Nov. 2, 2015
SAN DIEGO - A school-record nine San Diego State women's soccer players were recognized by the Mountain West on Monday as the league announced its postseason awards. Highlighting the accolades for SDSU was Leah Pruitt being named the Freshman of the Year and to the all-conference first team.
A native of Rancho Cucamonga, Pruitt is the fourth Aztec to be named the MW's top freshman and the first since 2010. The forward's first-team appointment, meanwhile, marks the first time an SDSU freshman has been voted to the team since 2009. Pruitt collected the hardware after leading San Diego State in conference games in goals (8), assists (4), points (20), shots (37), shots on goal (17) and game-winning goals (5). At the MW level, Pruitt led the league in points and points per game (1.82), was second in shots, shots per game (3.36), goals, goals per game (0.73) and game-winners, and was tied for fourth in assists and assists per game (0.36).
Joining Pruitt on the all-MW first team were Milan Moses and Stacie Moran. Moses, a freshman, finished the conference season with three goals, two assists (t-9th in MW) and eight points from her midfield position. With both Pruitt and Moses on the first team, it marks the first time in school history that two freshmen were voted to the highest all-conference squad, regardless of league. Moran, meanwhile, is now a two-time all-MW defender a season after earning second-team honors. Hailing from Alta Loma, Moran is the lone Aztec defender on the first team despite being a part of a defense that allowed the second fewest goals (7) and posted the second most shutouts (5).
Landing on the all-Mountain West second team was Victoria Barba, Angela Mitchell and Melanie Vaughn. A midfielder, Barba picked up her second all-conference award, but first since 2013 when she was a first-teamer. Against MW competition, Barba posted one goal, two assists and four points. Mitchell completed her sophomore season with her first career all-conference accolade after posting five goals (t-5th in MW), including three game-winners (t-4th in MW), and 10 points (t-10th in MW), all of which ranked second on the team. As for Vaughn, the senior goalkeeper was second in the MW in save percentage (.857) and shutouts (5), third in GAA (0.64) and tied for sixth in saves (42). A two-time MW all-tournament selection, this is Vaughn's first all-league honor.
In addition to the six Aztecs on the first two all-conference squads, San Diego State had three honorable mention performers in Ashley Hauke, Jen Rupey and Aliyah Utush. Hauke, a senior, and Rupey, a junior, were a part of a defense that helped Moran get voted to the first team. Rupey proved to be a force offensively as well, as she finished the MW slate with a league-high-tying six assists. Utush posted a scoring line identical to Moses with three goals (one game-winner), two assists and eight points. All three are first-time award winners even though Hauke earned a spot on the all-tourney team last year.
San Diego State and its nine all-league selections return to action on Thursday in the semifinals of the Mountain West Championship, which is being held at SDSU Sports Deck. The tournament begins on Tuesday with quarterfinal action (4 p.m./7 p.m. PT) and resumes on Thursday with two semifinal games (4 p.m./7 p.m. PT). The top-seeded Aztecs will play at 7 p.m. PT Thursday and will face the winner of No. 4 seed Wyoming and No. 5 seed Colorado College. The title game is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. PT. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, students with ID and groups. For the group rate, please call the Aztec ticket office in advance at (619) 283-7378.
MOUNTAIN WEST HONOREES – SDSU ONLY
Freshman of the Year: Leah Pruitt
First-Team All-Conference: Leah Pruitt, Milan Moses, Stacie Moran
Second-Team All-Conference: Angela Mitchell, Victoria Barba, Melanie Vaughn
Honorable Mention: Ashley Hauke, Jen Rupey, Aliyah Utush