HPU’s Meghan Fuller claims Preseason Player of Year honors; BYU-Hawaii favored to repeat

PHOENIX, AZ – Reigning Pacific West Conference Champion BYU-Hawaii nipped Grand Canyon as the coaches’ choice to claim the 2011 women’s soccer title.

The announcement of the 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.

The Seasiders claimed five of 10 first-place votes and totaled 92 points in the balloting, while the Antelopes amassed 90 points with four first-place votes to finish a close second. Dixie State is predicted to finish third after collecting 79 points and one first-place nod.

California Baptist, Hawai‘i Pacific, Notre Dame de Namur and Dominican (CA) are slotted fourth through seventh, respectively, while Hawai‘i Hilo is picked to finish eighth. Academy or Art and Chaminade were deadlocked for ninth.

Hawai‘i Pacific junior forward Meghan Fuller (Pearl City, HI/Pearl City) was named the PacWest Preseason Player of the Year, while BYU-Hawaii sophomore netminder Megan McCain (Northglenn, CO/Broomfield) was chosen as the PacWest Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.

The 2009 Freshman and Newcomer of the Year, Fuller is a two-time All-PacWest First Team selection (2009 and 2010) who finished the 2010 campaign with 18 points on nine goals. She finished the season tied for fifth in the PacWest in scoring and ranked third in points per game (1.12). She also tied for third in goals scored and ranked second in goals per game.

McCain unleashed a 14-2-2 record in 2010, leading the league in goals against average (0.47), save percentage (.900) and shutouts (9). She also was named All-PacWest First Team for her outstanding year.

Both McCain and Fuller earned places on the All-PacWest Preseason Team in addition to their individual awards. Fuller is one of four forwards listed on the squad that also features Grand Canyon junior Marina Nesic (Koceljeva, Serbia) – the 2010 PacWest Player of the Year.

Nesic appeared in just eight games last season, but the head coaches of the PacWest recognized her ability to dominate by also naming her All-Conference First Team.

The Serbian native tied for the PacWest lead in scoring and in goals after tallying 23 points on 10 goals and three assists. She also had three game-winners.

NDNU senior Sarah Biser (Newark, CA/Newark Memorial) and California Baptist senior Kylee Nicassio (Alta Loma, CA/Los Osos) round out the preseason forwards. Biser totaled 15 points on seven goals and one assist last season, tying for eighth in scoring and ranking ninth in points per game (0.83). She also tied for sixth in goals and in goals per game (0.39). Nicassio racked up 30 points on a dozen goals and six assists in 2010. She also contributed a pair of game-winning goals.

BYU-Hawaii sophomore forward Kim Micheletti (Redding, CA/University Preparatory) – the 2010 Freshman of the Year and an All-PacWest First Team selection last season – is one of four midfielders on the All-PacWest Preseason Team.

Micheletti totaled 19 points on eight goals and three assists in just eight games. She finished the year tied for third in scoring, ranked fourth in points per game (1.06), ranked fifth in goals scored, and tied for fifth in goals per game (0.44) in the PacWest. She had the greatest impact in deciding games, recording five game-winning goals in her eight contests to top the league.

Dixie State senior Camille Jensen (North Logan, UT/Sky View), HPU junior Sanoe Souza (Honolulu, HI/Kamehameha-Oahu) and California Baptist senior Fabiola Zanella da Silva (Curitiba, Brazil) comprised the remainder of the midfield team.

An All-PacWest First Team selection in 2009 and a Second Team choice last year, Jensen finished the season second in the league in assists (6) and tied for second in assists per game (0.33). She totaled eight points on the year after adding a goal to her repertoire.

Souza posted eight points on three goals and two assists last season, while Zanella da Silva recorded 29 points on 10 goals and nine assists. She also had four game-winning goals in 2010.

BYU-Hawaii senior Kami Strait (Colorado Springs, CO/Rampart) is one of three defenders named to the Preseason All-PacWest Team. The two-time All-PacWest selection claimed First Team honors last year and Second Team accolades in 2008.

Dixie State grabbed the other two defensive positions thanks to junior Kelsey Tesoro (Torrance, CA/Shadow Ridge) and senior Whitley Davis (Sandy, UT/Brighton). Tesoro earned All-PacWest First Team honors in 2010 and an Honorable Mention in 2009, while Davis was a First Team choice in 2009.