UC Irvine Serves Up Seven to All-Big West Team
November 02, 2016 | Women's Soccer
IRVINE, Calif. --- Women's soccer's rise to a second place finish in the conference was backed by seven selections to the All-Big West squad.
Seven Anteaters have made the grade in five of the last eight seasons. Under coach Juniper, UCI has had at least four honorees in nine of his ten seasons, and it's his fifth squad to post at least three first-teamers.
Kiana Palacios led the charge as the only returning Anteater to the squad. Through 16 matches, she had led the conference, and in some instances the country, in scoring with nine goals, five assists, and 23 points from the midfield.
It was her first time on the first team along with her teammates Kelsey Texeira and Noel Baham. Texeira erupted from the backline with three goals and three assists, the first nine points of her career, in addition to nine clean sheets. Baham has broken out with six goals and eight assist after coming into the season with five assists and still searching for her first goal.
Lili Andino earned her first honor with inclusion to the second team scoring five times and assisting on two. Two Anteaters joined her with honorable mention accolades. Defender Andrea Mensen put up a goal and an assist alongside Texeira as the center backs for nine shutouts. Maddie Newsom and her nine shutouts punctuates the all-conference list.
Newsom ranks second in the conference in goals-against-average and has made 54 saves in her freshman campaign as part of her 1,853 minutes played, eighth-best in the country.
Her stats boosted her onto the Big West All-Freshman squad as well joined by Jessica Miclat and her two goals and two assists to become the first Anteater teammates to make the team together.
Fitting that the 'Eaters would have seven players honored when they were chosen to finish seventh in the preseason poll. The second-place Anteaters continue their season Thursday, Nov. 3 in the semifinals of the Big West Tournament beginning at 7:30 p.m.
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