2018 All-Pacific Team
SAN JOSE, Calif. – San José State women's soccer defensive standouts Kristen Amarikwa and Paige Simoneau were named 2018 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's All-Pacific Region, the organization announced Monday. Amarikwa was named to the second team while Simoneau was tabbed a third-team selection.
Amarikwa anchored one of the top defensive back lines in collegiate soccer this season for the Mountain West Champions 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. 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.
Entering the NCAA Tournament, the defense had tallied 11 total shutouts, which ranked as the fourth-most in the country and their goals against average of 0.62 ranked 25th nationally. For her efforts, Amarikwa was selected a First Team All-Mountain West Defender and named to the All-Mountain West Tournament Team.
Simoneau, a senior from Corona, California, was remarkable in the goal in a record-breaking season, posting a school-record 11 overall shutouts, including eight in Mountain West play, which is a conference record. The senior team captain posted a goals against average of 0.81, the best in school history, while making 72 saves. She was twice named MW Defensive Player of the Week after shutouts against Kansas State and Fresno State, and was named First Team All-Mountain West.
Simoneau, who concluded her career as the school record holder in career goals against average (0.92) and shutouts (21), ended her Spartan career much like she started. In the Mountain West Tournament semifinal vs. No. 1-seed Boise State, she made a pair of critical saves in penalty kicks to send SJSU to the championship match, which they won for their second Mountain West Championship Crown of the last four seasons. For her efforts, she was crowned the Mountain West Championship Tournament MVP.
