THREE HORNETS EARN ALL-MPSF HONORS, CABADAS NAMED TO FIRST TEAM

11/19/2008

WOODLAND, Calif. – The Sacramento State men’s soccer team had three players earn all-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honors, with sophomore midfielder Fernando Cabadas earning first team honors, as announced by the MPSF today.

Cabadas scored two goals and collected one assist on the season in the central midfield, while helping the team in many ways not reflected on the scoresheet. A former unrecruited walk-on who earned a scholarship in the spring of this year, Cabadas controlled the ball in the middle of the field for the Hornets, using his craftiness to juggle, dribble and spin between defenders. The Sacramento native played high school soccer at Hiram Johnson High School, but did not play organized club soccer, making the team during open tryouts before the 2007 season.

"We were fortunate to have Fernando join our program and he has continued to improve for us," head coach Michael Linenberger said. "He has the opportunity to be one of the top players in the conference for the next few years, and he is definitely a guy we are planning to build the team around."

A pair of senior defenders, Adam Owens and Omar Martinez, also earned all-MPSF honors, with Owens being named to the second team and Martinez earning honorable mention honors.

Owens, a native of Carmichael who attended Jesuit High School, earned all-conference honors for the third time during his career, having previously earned first team all-MPSF honors following his sophomore and junior campaigns. He is the school's career leader in matches played, seeing the pitch in 74 matches for the Green and Gold while making 60 starts. A strong center-back, Owens was a team captain during his final two seasons at Sacramento State.

"For three and a half years, he was the leader of our team defensively," Linenberger said of Owens. "We will miss both him and Omar dearly next season."

Martinez was a two-year starter at right-back for the Hornets after transfering from Canada JC. He earned second team all-MPSF honors following his junior campaign, and had his strongest offensive season to date, leading the team in assists with five. Martinez constantly ran up and down the pitch during his two seasons, taking the team's throw-ins and free kicks offensively before hustling back to his defensive position.

"Omar was head and shoulders above what he was last year for us," Linenberger said. "He was extremely instrumental in getting the team in shape during the offseason, and bringing the work ethic of the team to a higher level."

The Hornets, who finished the season 8-9-2 overall and 3-7-0 in the MPSF, good for a three-way tie for fourth place, are tentatively scheduled to open up their 2009 campaign with an exhibition match on August 21.