IRVINE, Calif. — The 2012 women’s soccer All-Big West teams were announced Wednesday as selected by the conference’s 10 head coaches. Four Rainbow Wahine earned mention with sophomore midfielder Krystal Pascua gaining a spot on the second team.
Pascua led the team in scoring during Big West play, tallying two goals and an assist. The native of Waipahu, O’ahu had a total of four goals and three assists on the season while setting the tone for the squad in as an attacking midfielder and forward.
Junior defender Chelsea Miyake and sophomore Tiana Fujimoto were both named honorable mention. Miyake anchored a Rainbow Wahine defense that posted a pair of shutouts in league action. The native of Mililani, O’ahu was also heavily involved in the UH attack. She led the team in assists (4) while finishing second in goals (4), three of which came on penalty kicks.
Fujimoto led the team in scoring with eight goals and two assists, including two goals and an assist in Big West play. The native of Honolulu earned Big West Player of the Week honors during the second weekend of the season and was a menace to opposing defenses throughout the season.
Lidia Battaglia, meanwhile, made it on the All-Freshman team. Battaglia, along with Miyake, provided a formidable force in the middle of the UH backline. The native of Santa Monica, Calif., earned her first start in the second match of the season and never relinquished the role.
The foursome helped UH exceeded expectations under second-year head coach Michele Nagamine. UH tallied its most wins since the 2008 season with eight and finished sixth in the 10-team Big West after being picked to finished last in the preseason poll.
The team also a tied a pair of school records earlier in the year when it went unbeaten in seven straight matches during one stretch and later in the year it extended its home unbeaten streak to 12 matches with a 2-0 win over UC Riverside for its first-ever Big West win.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
