Nov. 7, 2006
FULLERTON, CA - Cal State Fullerton seniors Karen Bardsley and Erica Janke each earned individual accolades while Head Coach Ali Khosroshahin was named the Big West Conference's Coach of the Year for the third time as the league office announced the 2006 All-Big West teams on Tuesday afternoon.
Defense ruled the day for the Titans as three of the Titans' five all-conference selections came on the defensive side of the ball.
Bardsley, who also earned the third All-Big West First-Team honor of her impressive career, was named the Big West Goalkeeper of the Year for the third consecutive season after posting a 0.97 goals against average, a league-high 111 saves, and seven shutouts during the regular season.
Janke, who was named to the First Team for the second-straight season, became the second Titan in as many years to be named Defensive Player of the Year, joining former Fullerton All-American Marlene Sandoval, who earned the honor in 2005. Janke also scored twice and added an assist to finish the regular season in a tie for seventh on the team in scoring.
Khosroshahin was named the league's top coach for the second straight season after sharing the honor last year with UC Riverside's Veronica O'Brien. He also earned the honor in his head coaching debut in 2001 after leading the Titans to a 13-7 overall record, the Big West regular season title with an 8-1 mark, and the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
Three Titans were named to the All-Big West Second Team as senior Lauryn Welch earned her third career all-conference honor despite missing the second half of the season due to injury. Welch finished the season with five goals and two assists.
She was joined on the second team by a pair of first-timers in senior Desiree Flint, who had a pair of goals and two assists, and redshirt sophomore Jenae Gibbens, who was an integral part of the Titans' defense in 2006 while also adding an assist.
Fullerton, which enters postseason play with an 11-7-2 overall record, opens play in the 2006 NCAA Tournament this weekend on Friday night (Nov. 10) at 8 p.m. as the Titans take on Loyola Marymount in a first-round match-up at UCLA's Drake Stadium.
2006 ALL-BIG WEST CONFERENCE TEAMS
Offensive Player of the Year
Kim Silos, Long Beach State
Midfielder of the Year
Hayley Bolt, Long Beach State
Defensive Player of the Year
Erica Janke, Cal State Fullerton
Goalkeeper of the Year
Karen Bardsley, Cal State Fullerton
Co-Freshmen of the Year
Carrie Andrews, Cal Poly & Leticia Villalpando, UC Riverside
Coach of the Year
Ali Khosroshahin, Cal State Fullerton
First Team
Sahar Haghdan, Long Beach State
Genelle Ives, UC Santa Barbara
Allie Kueny, UC Santa Barbara
Kim Silos, Long Beach State
Kaleena Andruss, Cal Poly
Hayley Bolt, Long Beach State
Suzie Mischenko, Cal State Northridge
Carmen Padilla, Pacific++
Carrie Andrews, Cal Poly
Erica Janke, Cal State Fullerton+
Heidi McQuitty, Cal Poly
Rachael Ritchey, UC Santa Barbara
Karen Bardsley, Cal State Fullerton++
+ Two-Time All-Big West First-Team Selection
++ Three-Time All-Big West First-Team Selection
Second Team
Kelsey Carroll, Cal Poly
Tessa Lennala, UC Riverside
Ashley Vallis, Cal Poly
Mandi Van Dorn, Pacific
Lauryn Welch, Cal State Fullerton
Desiree Flint, Cal State Fullerton
Darci Gwartz, UC Santa Barbara
Dana Farquhar, Long Beach State
Jenae Gibbens, Cal State Fullerton
Natalie Messina, Long Beach State
Kelsey Nagel, Pacific
Katie Wright, UC Santa Barbara
Honorable Mention
Chandi Bickford, UC Santa Barbara
Linda Allen, UC Riverside
Kristyn Bright, UC Santa Barbara
Jenna Leonti, UC Riverside
Leticia Villalpando, UC Riverside
Sara Davis, Cal State Northridge
Kandice McLaughlin, UC Santa Barbara
Amber Plumlee, UC Riverside
Tawny Poggio, UC Riverside