GCU picked to repeat as PacWest Champ; Dominican’s Guevara is Preseason Player of Year

PHOENIX, AZ – Grand Canyon University is the preseason favorite to repeat as the Pacific West Conference Men’s Soccer Champion, while Dominican University of California senior midfielder Pedro Guevara (Santa Rosa, CA/Montgomery) has been selected as the 2011 PacWest Preseason Player of the Year.

The announcement of the preseason predicted order of finish and the Preseason All-PacWest Team came during The PacWest Magazine Radio Show broadcast on Wednesday, Aug. 31, live on KQCK in San Tan Valley, Ariz.

Grand Canyon (15-3-2/12-1-1 PacWest) received seven of the 10 first-place votes and was the overwhelming choice to take the conference title. Hawai‘i Pacific (12-6/11-3), last season’s runner-up, earned two first-place votes and is expected to finish second, while Notre Dame de Namur (13-3-2/10-2-2), who finished third last season, earned one first-place vote and is predicted to take third place in 2011.

California Baptist, Dixie State and Hawai‘i Hilo are ranked fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, while Academy of Art and Dominican tied for seventh in the coaches’ poll. BYU-Hawaii (9^th) and Chaminade (10^th) round out the order.

Guevara had a terrific season in 2010 for the Penguins. He made the jump from Second Team in 2009 to First Team last year after totaling 20 points on eight goals and four assists. He tied for fifth in the PacWest in points, points per game (1.11), goals and goals per game (0.44), and tied for 10^th in the league in total assists. He recorded two of the three game-winners posted by the Penguins last year.

Guevara was one of four midfielders selected to the preseason squad. Notre Dame de Namur senior Christian Rosales (Redwood City, CA/St. Francis), and Grand Canyon seniors Cordero Young (Orlando, FL/Central Florida Christian Academy) and Mitchell Garcia (Avondale, AZ/Agua Fria), round out the midfield squad.

Rosales is a three-time All-PacWest selection who earned First Team honors in 2010, Second Team accolades in 2009, and Honorable Mention in 2008. He contributed eight points on two goals and four assists.

Young finished second on the GCU squad in scoring with 22 points on nine goals and four assists, while Garcia had 13 points on three goals and seven assists. Young had three game-winners, finished third in the PacWest in points and goals, wound up seventh in points per game (1.10), and finished fourth in goals per game (0.45). Garcia tied for second in assists and finished fourth in the league in assists per game (0.35) last year.

NDNU senior goalie Isiah Castro (Watsonville, CA/Watsonville) was selected the PacWest Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year and to the Preseason All-Conference Team thanks to a stellar 2010 campaign that earned him All-PacWest Second Team accolades. He led the PacWest in goals against average (0.47) and save percentage (.854), and tied for second in shutouts (7). He also was second in shutouts per game (0.44).

The PacWest preseason forwards include Academy of Art senior Andrew “Boomer” Cruz (Pleasanton, CA/Foothill), who was named the PacWest Newcomer of the Year and to the All-PacWest Second Team last season. Cruz totaled 17 points on eight goals and one assist last season. He finished the year ranked ninth in the PacWest in points per game (0.94) and tied for ninth in total scoring. He also tied for fifth in goals and goals per game (0.44).

NDNU senior forward Cristobal Montes (Fremont, CA/John F. Kennedy) also joined the preseason squad. The three-time All-PacWest First Team selection was named the 2008 PacWest Player and Newcomer of the Year. Last season the veteran forward posted 20 points on eight goals and four assists. He tied for fifth in the PacWest in points, points per game (1.11), goals and goals per game (0.44). He also tied for third in game-winning goals with four in 2010.

HPU’s three-time All-PacWest First Team selection Chance Bukoski (Lihue, HI/Kapaa) earned a place on the preseason team thanks to a 2010 effort that saw the Sea Warrior post 34 points on 13 goals and eight assists. He finished the 2010 campaign ranked second in the PacWest in total points, points per game (2.12), game-winning goals (5), goals scored and goals per game (0.81). He topped the league in assists and in assists per game (0.50).

California Baptist – in its first season of PacWest competition – landed senior Osvaldo Bastida (Anaheim, CA/Katella) on the preseason team. Last year Bastida posted a dynamite campaign by registering 23 points on seven goals and nine assists – more assists than any player in the PacWest.

Five defenders comprised the All-PacWest Preseason Team, including BYU-Hawaii senior Aaron Drewery (Great Yarmouth, England/Lynn Grove), Dixie State senior Clayton Alexander (Seattle, WA/Issaquah) and Dominican sophomore Sam Vella (Belmont, CA/Junipero Serra).

HPU junior Kainoa Kahui (Kona, HI/Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama) - an All-PacWest First Team choice in 2010 - and Grand Canyon senior Nick Sykes (Boise, ID/Mountain View) - who was an All-PacWest First Team choice in 2009, a Second Team member last year, and an Honorable Mention in 2008 - were named to the preseason squad as defenders.