The Big West Conference placed 11 players on the NSCAA All-Far West Region team, with six of them earning first team honors it was announced today. The 11 selections is tied with the Pac-10 for most selections by any west region conference, while the six first team all-stars is the most of any conference in the region.
The first team Far West honor roll has two Big West players at each position with the exception of goalkeeper. Among the forwards, seniors Quincy Amarikwa of UC Davis and Chris Pontius of UC Santa Barbara claimed the honors. Amarikwa was the conference Offensive Player of the Year after putting up 15 goals and an assist for 31 points, while Pontius led the league in points with 32 (14 g, 4 a).
Among the four first team midfielders, senior Matt Murphy of UC Irvine and fellow senior Dylan Curtis of UC Davis were honored. Murphy put up 30 points on the season(11 g, 8 a), leading the Anteaters to a school-record 15 wins and the Sweet 16 of their first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. Meanwhile, Curtis put up 21 points (5 g, 11 a) to lead the Aggies to their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance in their second year of full Division I status. He is also a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and helped UCD win its first ever NCAA postseason home match.
The Big West representatives among the defenders were junior David Sias of UC Irvine and freshman Patrick Sigler of Cal Poly. Sias spearheaded a UCI defense that allowed just 24 goals in 23 matches and shut out opponents. For his efforts, Sias was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Year. Sigler showed he is a future star on the collegiate scene with excellent two way play this season. He was part of a defense that allowed 23 goals in 23 games and shut out a conference-best nine opponents. Included in those blankings was a 1-0 win at UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Mustangs' first postseason win in program history.
The second team selections went to senior goalkeeper Eric Branagan-Franco of Cal Poly, senior defender/midfielder Alfonso Motagalvan of UC Santa Barbara and junior midfielder Sunghyun Kim of Cal State Northridge.
Branagan-Franco was named the Big West Co-Goalkeeper of the Year after a stunning performance between the pipes for the Mustangs. He led the conference in save percentage (.820)), saves (105), saves per game (4.57) and shutouts (9). He also posted two matches of 11 saves and another with 10 stops.
Motagalvan was the one of the most versatile players around as he started the year in the midfield but moved back into a central defender role toward the latter stages of the 2008 season. Offensively, he put up four goals on the season and helped the normally stout Gaucho defense post two consecutive shutouts in a row in two important matches prior to the Big West Tournament.
Kim is one of the best well-kept secrets in the Far West region as the junior playmaker put up another outstanding offensive season for the Matadors. He put up five goals and added seven assists to tie for the team lead in points with 17. Kim has been a consistent force in head coach Terry Davila's midfield as his 2008 totals give him 17 goals and 12 assists in his three-year career.
Rounding out the conference representatives on the regional third team are a pair of Cal Poly players in senior midfielder Anton Peterlin and sophomore forward Kyle Montgomery. The duo helped the Mustangs to a third place finish in the Big West and an NCAA second round appearance. Peterlin is one of the finest defensive midfielders around, helping hold Cal Poly opponents to one goal or less in 15 of 23 outings. Conversely, Montgomery is one of the top offensive catalysts in any region. He was second in the Big West with 10 assists from his forward position, joining Curtis as the only players in the league to put up double-digit helpers.