DENVER, Colo. - Nevada sophomore forward Samantha Miller and junior defender Jessica Wilcox have been named to the 2006 Preseason All-Western Athletic Conference women's soccer team, the league announced Tuesday.
The 11-member preseason team and Players of the Year were voted on by the league's coaches. Fresno State led the team with four players, while Nevada, Hawai'i and San Jose State each placed two on the team. It marks the second consecutive season that two members of the Wolf Pack have earned preseason All-WAC honors with Naomi Hernandez and Lauren Kinneman being named to the team last fall. Two-time first-team all-WAC member Cortney Sobrero of Fresno State was named the 2006 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while teammate, Rochelle Jagdeo, was tabbed as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Miller and Wilcox were among the school-record five Nevada student-athletes who earned second-team All-WAC honors last year after helping Nevada to the best season in school history. The Wolf Pack turned in a school-record 11-7-2 overall mark and finished in a tie for second in the WAC standings after going 4-2-1 in league action in 2005. The team also earned the program's first WAC Tournament appearance.
Miller tied for third on the team with 13 points (four goals, five assists) last year, starting all 20 matches as a true freshman. Wilcox was named the team's Most Valuable Player after anchoring a defense which recorded a school-record eight shutouts a year ago. She also scored one goal and had two assists in 20 starts.
Nevada returns all but one starter from last year's squad and has been picked fourth (with one first-place vote) in this year's preseason WAC coaches' poll. The Wolf Pack opens the 2006 campaign with an exhibition match against Chico State on Aug. 17 in Reno before starting the regular season with an Aug. 27 game at Sacramento State. The team's home opener will be on Friday, Sept. 1 vs. Wisconsin-Green Bay.
2006 Preseason All-WAC Team
F Samantha Miller, So., Nevada
F Jessica Scott, So., San Jose State
F Cortney Sobrero, Sr., Fresno State
F Charity Weston, Sr., Utah State
MF Jessica Domingo, Jr., Hawai`i
MF Nicole Irwin, Jr., San Jose State
MF Alison Sill, So., Fresno State
D Rochelle Jagdeo, Jr., Fresno State
D Koren Takeyama, Jr., Hawai`i
D Jessica Wilcox, Jr., Nevada
GK Angie Larsen, Sr., Fresno State
Preseason WAC Players of the Year
Offensive: Cortney Sobrero, Forward, Fresno State, Sr.
Defensive: Rochelle Jagdeo, Defender, Fresno State, Sr.
