LOS ANGELES -- Cal State L.A.'s women's soccer team, after completing the best season in the program's history, was well-represented on the National Soccer Coaches Associaton of America's All-Region teams announced this week.
Junior defender Christine Duff was named to the NSCAA/adidas All-Far West Region first team, while senior forward Erika Prado and senior goalkeeper Reyna Coca both received second-team recognition. The trio helped Cal State L.A. win a program-record 13 games and advance to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time. The Golden Eagles made it to the Far West Region championship game and finished the season ranked 15th in the nation.
Duff anchored a defense that was outstanding, particularly late in the season. Cal State L.A. allowed only 16 goals in its 23 games and set a new program mark for fewest goals allowed in a season. She earned All-Region honors for the first time this season. In addition to making the NSCAA first team, she was also named to the Daktronics All-Far West Region second team last month in voting done by the region's sports information directors.
Coca completed her outstanding career by allowing only 14 goals and accumulating a save percentage of .854. She made 82 saves during the season and was especially tough in the postseason when the Golden Eagles allowed only three goals in five CCAA and NCAA tournament games and posted three shutouts. This is the first All-Region honor for Coca.
Prado also completed her tremendous Cal State L.A. career this past season. She recorded two goals and four assists for a total of eight points and was perfect in postseason penalty kicks taken during the three shootouts Cal State L.A. was involved in. She became the program's all-time leader in career assists with 17. This is the second consecutive All-Region honor for Prado. She was earned second-team NSCAA/adidas Far West Region honors last year as well after breaking the program's single-season assist record with eight.
Cal State L.A. finished its season with a 13-6-4 overall record and posted 12 shutouts. The win and shutout totals are new program records. The Golden Eagles finished second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association South Division and advanced to the four-team CCAA Championship Tournament for the first time. Once there, the Golden Eagles knocked off defending conference champion UC San Diego to reach the championship match. Chico State then won the conference title in a shootout after the teams battled to a 0-0 draw.
The Golden Eagles met the Wildcats again in the first round of the NCAA playoffs and this time, after another 0-0 tie, it was No. 6 seed Cal State L.A. advancing after a shootout. That put the Golden Eagles against No. 2 seed Seattle University. After another 0-0 tie, Cal State L.A. advanced again via the shootout.
In the regional championship match, the Golden Eagles fell short against Seattle Pacific, 2-0, in a game that was tied at 0-0 at halftime.
NSCAA/adidas
NCAA Division II Women
All-Far West Region
First Team
GK -- Jesslyn Rham, So., Seattle Pacific
D -- Claire Grubbs, Jr., Seattle Pacific
D -- Madison Collins, Jr., Seattle University
D -- Christine Duff, Jr., Cal State L.A.
M -- Kara Hamby, Sr., Seattle Pacific
M -- Meredith Teague, Jr., Seattle Pacific
M -- Ashley Porter, Sr., Seattle University
M -- Shannon Oakes, Jr., Seattle Pacific
F -- Sarah Martinez, Sr., Seattle Pacific
F -- Leah Wymer, Sr., Seattle University
F -- Brittney Sandau, Sr., Montana State-Billings
Second Team
GK -- Reyna Coca, Sr., Cal State L.A.
D -- Kate Edstrom, So., Seattle University
D -- Whitney MacDonald, Sr., Chico State
D -- Katie Warner, Jr., Western Washington
M -- Ashley Gunther, Sr., Chico State
M -- Jennifer Jimenez, Sr., Cal State Dominguez Hills
M -- Amanda Font, Sr., Western Washington
F -- Katherine Bagwell, Sr., Chico State
F -- Corrie Hirokawa, Sr., Cal State Dominguez Hills
F -- Yvonne Vasquez, Jr., Cal State Dominguez Hills
F -- Erika Prado, Sr., Cal State L.A.
