SAN JOSE, Calif. – San José State women's soccer landed five players on the 2018 All-Mountain West teams, as announced by the conference office. Paige Simoneau, Darriell Franklin and Kristen Amarikwa were selected to the first team while freshman Jada Wilson was tabbed to both the second and all-newcomer teams. Hannah Mathews joined Wilson on the all-newcomer team.
"I am thrilled that our players are considered the top in the Mountain West," head coach Lauren Hanson said. "It is a huge honor for them to be recognized for their efforts throughout conference play. I am proud of the players recognized, but also our team for the valiant effort they have put forth defensively throughout Mountain West play. To break a conference shut out record and school shutout record is a special thing for our program and something to continue to build off of. This individual recognition is a direct reflection of our entire team's effort all season long."
Simoneau, a senior from Corona, Calif., has been outstanding in the goal in a record-breaking season. She has posted 10 overall shutouts, most in a single season in school history, and eight shutouts in Mountain West play, a conference record. A team captain, Simoneau has posted a goals against average of 0.61, the best in school history, while making 49 saves. She was twice named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week after shutouts against Kansas State and Fresno State.
Franklin finds herself on the All-Mountain West first team for the second straight season after earning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Honors last season. The La Habra, Calif., product ranked second in the conference with three game-winning goals in a trio of 1-0 wins over Colorado College, New Mexico and Colorado State. She led the team and ranked fourth in the conference with 39 shots in league play and finished with six points. Her 4.33 shots per game ranked second in the Mountain West.
Amarikwa anchored one of the top defensive back lines in collegiate soccer this season that tallied a Mountain West record eight shutouts in league play and allowed just five goals against conference foes for a goals against average of 0.42. The junior defender locked down the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year Raimee Shirle, the nation's leading scorer, in one-on-one coverage and didn't allow her to fire off a single shot. A junior team captain, Amarikwa and the defense conceded just one goal in their six conference wins for an average of 0.17 goals per game.
Wilson and Mathews, a pair of freshmen defenders, also received recognition as part of the record-breaking defense. Wilson started every conference game and played in nearly every minute of those matches. She came up huge against Fresno State's Gwen Maly, the league's second-leading scorer, limiting her to just one unsuccessful shot attempt. Mathews was a huge contributor to the defense as she battled through injury to start in 9-of-11 conference games where she played a total of 815 minutes.
San José State begins play in the 2018 Mountain West Championship tomorrow, October 30, at the Spartan Soccer Complex against Fresno State. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT.
2018 Mountain West All-Conference Teams
Offensive Player of the Year:
Raimee Sherle, Jr., Forward, Boise State
Defensive Player of the Year:
Taylor Burton, Sr., Defender, Wyoming
Newcomer of the Year:
Laura Fuentes, Fr., Midfielder, San Diego State
Coach of the Year:
Jim Thomas, Boise State
All-Conference First-Team:
Name, Class, Position, Team
Addison Standlee, Sr., D, Boise State
McKenna Kynett, Jr., MF, Boise State
Raimee Sherle, Jr. F, Boise State
Lauren Milliet, Sr., MF, Colorado College
Gwen Maly, So., F, New Mexico
Jennifer Munoz, Sr., MF, New Mexico
Jessie Hix, Jr., MF, New Mexico
Darriell Franklin, Sr., F, San José State
Kristen Amarikwa, Jr., D, San José State
Paige Simoneau, Sr., GK, San José State
Taylor Burton, Sr., D, Wyoming
All-Conference Second Team:
Name, Class, Position, Team
Jennifer Hiddink, Sr., GK, Air Force
Aubree Chatterton, So., F, Boise State
Eva Herrera, Sr., D, Boise State
Michelle Reed, Sr., MF, Boise State
Kelli Sullivan, Sr., D, Colorado College
Ele Avery, So., F, Fresno State
Alesia Garcia, Fr., F, New Mexico
Jessica Nelson, Sr., D, New Mexico
Jada Wilson, Fr., D, San Jose State
Ashley Cardozo, So., MF, Utah State
Annika Clayton, Sr., MF, Wyoming
All-Newcomer Team
Keelyn Osoba, Fr., D, Air Force
Macie Nelson, Fr., D, Boise State
Kiley Suter, Fr., F, Colorado College
Alesia Garcia, Fr., F, New Mexico
Kendal Stovall, Fr., GK Nevada
Kylie Minamishin, Fr., MF, Nevada
Laura Fuentes, Fr., MF, San Diego State
Hannah Mathews, Fr., D, San Jose State
Jada Wilson, Fr., F, San Jose State
Taylor Clark, Fr., MF, UNLV
Savannah Warner, Fr., D, Wyoming