Nov. 13, 2007

FULLERTON, CA - Three Cal State Fullerton women's soccer players earned individual honors and seven players total were named to the All-Big West Conference teams for 2007 according to a vote of the league's coaches released on Tuesday afternoon.

The complete All-Big West teams can be viewed by clicking here.

Joining the individual award winners is first-year Head Coach Demian Brown, who was named the Big West Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Titans to a share of the league's regular season title, the conference tournament title, and an NCAA berth for the third consecutive year.

Brown became the first first-time, first-year head coach in the history of the Big West to lead their program to both the regular season and tournament titles and only the second-ever to win the league's regular season title in their first season.

Fullerton came away with two of the league's top individual defensive honors as junior Shayla Sabin (San Clemente, Calif.) was named the league's Goalkeeper of the Year and junior Jenae Gibbens (San Diego, Calif.) was named Defensive Player of the Year.

For the fourth year in a row a Titan has taken home top goalkeeper honors as Sabin joins former teammate Karen Bardsley, who won the award for three straight seasons from 2004-06. Sabin, who earned all-conference honors for the first time in her career, finished the season with a 9-5-2 record in net to go with a 0.77 goals against average and seven shutouts in 16 starts. Sabin ranked third in the league in goals against average and save percentage while standing tied for fourth in shutouts.

Gibbens, who was also named to the all-conference first team after earning second-team honors in 2006, became the third straight Titan defender to win Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining Marlene Sandoval (2005) and Erica Janke (2006). Gibbens led a Fullerton defense that held 10 opponents to fewer than 10 shots per game and also got into the mix offensively, ranking tied for third on the team with four goals and assisting to two more for 10 points.

Senior Stacey Thompson (Saugus, Calif.), who earned her first career all-conference honor, was named the league's Midfielder of the Year, joining former Titan great Kellie Cox (2004) as winners of the award. Thompson ranks second on the team with 13 points this season, scoring four goals and netting a team-high five assists. She ranks tied for sixth in the league in points, tied for third in assists, and tied for the league lead with three game-winning goals.

Joining the trio on the first team were seniors Brianna Buffington (San Diego, Calif.) and Lauren Cram (La Mirada, Calif.), who each earned their first all-conference honors. Cram led the team with six goals and 14 points while ranking among the league's top 10 in five different categories. Buffington ranks tied for sixth in the league in goals scored and is third on the team with 11 points.

The All-Big West Second Team featured a pair of Titans as senior Nicole Scheid (Mission Viejo, Calif.) and junior Casey Schostag (Valley Center, Calif.) each earned their first career honors. Scheid finished second on the team with four assists - three of those leading to game-winning goals. Schostag finished the season with three assists and was a member of a stingy Fullerton defense that allowed only 20 goals and amassed a 0.90 goals against average.

Cal State Fullerton continues its 2007 season this weekend, carrying the Big West banner into Westwood, Calif., to take on top-ranked UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday evening at 5:30 p.m.