IRVINE, Calif. -- The Big West Champions were recognized by the league coaches with six all-conference selections, including Player of the Year, Mary Brooks and Coach of the Year, Dan Klatt.
Junior Mary Brooks earned Big West Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and joins former Anteater Jessy Cardey as the only two players to earn Big West Player of the Year honors twice in a career. It is the sixth time an Anteater has earned the conference's top honor. The junior leads UCI with 63 goals, which ranks fourth most in a single season at UCI and her 2.17 goals per game average is second-best in the league. She had six goals against UC Davis in the Big West semifinals, tying her career-high and ranking second in goals in a game at UCI and first in goals in a Big West Tournament game. She recorded 10 total goals at the conference championship, which was a new league record on her way to being named Most Valuable Player. It was her third conference award, also garnering Big West Freshman of the Year honors in 2015.
It is Klatt's sixth Coach of the Year nod also claiming the honor in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. In his 13th year at the helm, Klatt just led his team to its sixth Big West Tournament title and seventh regular season crown after finishing league undefeated at 5-0. The Anteaters are the only Big West program to finish conference play unbeaten and Klatt has helped his team to a 5-0 mark in the Big West four times. After earning the No. 1 seed, Klatt led UCI to a tournament sweep after a dominating 14-2 win versus UC Davis in the semifinals and an 8-7 sudden victory title-clincher in the finals.
Senior Kelsey Thornton joined Brooks on the first team after a breakout senior season. She had 45 goals on the year, including the game-winner in sudden death against Long Beach State to capture the tournament title. Thornton posted a career-high five goals against Hartwick earlier this year.
Seniors McKenna Mitchell and Annika Nelson were named to the second team, while senior defenders Gabby Pierandozzi and Cambria Shockley were honorable mention selections.
This is Mitchell's fourth all-conference accolade after recording 48 goals in 2017. The senior ranks sixth in career goals at UCI with 179. Nelson, who was hampered by an injury, played in the last eight games and recorded 85 saves and a 3.04 goals against average. The goalkeeper had a career-high 15 saves in each of the Big West Tournament games and ranks fifth in career saves (317) in the UCI record books.
Shockley was fourth on the team with 21 goals, including a career-high three versus CSUN. Pierandozzi followed with 18 goals, recording a season-high two goals in three games this season.
UCI will make its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance as the fourth-seeded Anteaters take on Cal at 10:45 a.m. May 12 at the IU Natatorium.