The Elite Eight
November 14, 2011 | Men's Soccer
IRVINE, Calif. --- Eight Anteaters were named All-Big West including Andrew Fontein (Las Vegas, Nev. / Sierra Vista HS) as Goalkeeper of the Year and Miguel Ibarra (Lancaster / Taft College) as Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
Fontein finally broke through as the Goalkeeper of the Year after a 2011 season that included 16 wins, nine shutouts, and 1,954 minutes in net, third-most in the nation. Fontein already has most of the UCI goalkeeper records and has now assumed his place in many Big West records as well. He joins Kenny Schoeni in 2006 as the only 'Eater keepers to win the award. Fontein was named Big West Defensive Player of the Week three times this season, but also earned much more than on-the-field accolades by being selected as a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
Fontein wasn't alone on the conference top honors list. Miguel Ibarra was Co-Offensive Player of the Year in the Big West sharing the award with UC Riverside's Cesar Diaz Pizarro. Ibarra was excellent throughout the season posting eight goals, four game-winners, and eight assists. Ibarra was very instrumental in the Big West Tournament Final scoring the game-winner in double overtime to earn him the tournament MVP. In addition, he was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com's and College Soccer News' teams of the week.
Ibarra and Fontein also found themselves on the All-Big West First Team as a forward and goalkeeper, respectively. For Ibarra, it was his second selection while Fontein earned his first after being a second-teamer as a junior and freshman. Joining them on the first team were midfielder, Christian Hernandez (Palmdale / Taft College), and defender Everett Pitts (Chino Hills / Ayala HS), both earning their first selection.
Hernandez matches Ibarra's 2010 total of 10 assists in addition to seven goals and four game-winners. Pitts was one of two juniors to make the first team as he posted just two points, one goal which was a game-winner, but was huge in the defensive backfield as part of nine 'Eater shutouts and neutralizing most of their opponents' top players.
Midfielder Jimmy Turner (Mission Viejo / Mission Viejo HS) and defender Marco Franco (Chino Hills / Chino Hills HS) were named to the second team for the first selection for each. Franco was one of three sophomores on the second team after posting six assists on the year. Turner scored twice, once against No. 4 Creighton, and added two assists.
Lester Hayes III (Alexandria, Va. / DeMatha Catholic HS) and Christopher Santana (Bishop / Bishop Union HS) made Honorable Mention in the Big West. Forward Hayes scored four times, one game-winner, and assisted on one to be one of three freshmen named all-conference. Santana, like Hayes, makes his first all-conference appearance after scoring four goals and adding five assists as a midfielder.
The eight selections for the Anteaters are not the most in program history as they had nine in 2008 and 2001. The 2001 squad also had five first-teamers while this season's four first-teamers make it four of the last five years that UCI has had four named All-Big West First Team.
The fifth-ranked Anteaters began NCAA Tournament play this week matching up with the winner of the CSU Bakersfield-Saint Mary's match. The match is scheduled for Sun. Nov. 20th at 6:00 p.m. as a second-round match. UCI was named the No. 8 national seed earning a first-round bye.
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