McCOY NAMED BIG SKY OFFENSIVE MVP; NINE HORNETS EARN ALL-BIG SKY HONORS

11/6/2007

OGDEN, Utah – Sacramento State senior Katie McCoy was named Big Sky Offensive MVP, highlighting a school record nine Hornets to receive Big Sky All-Conference honors, as announced by the conference today.

McCoy, who led Sacramento State to the Big Sky regular season title, was a unanimous choice for the offensive MVP award, receiving seven votes from the coaches. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players.

She ended the regular season ranked first in the Big Sky in points (31), points per game (1.72), goals (12), game-winning goals (5), and goals per game (.67). She was also tied for first this season in assists (7) and assists per game (.39), and was third in shots (56) and shots per game (3.11). McCoy was the first soccer player to be named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week three times in a row, and set a new mark by earning the award four times this season and six times in her career. She became just the seventh player in conference history to earn first team all-conference honors for three straight seasons, after being named a second team selection during her freshman year in 2004.

McCoy also received the 2007 Golden Boot Award, an award given to the player who led the Big Sky in total points in conference play. McCoy tallied five goals, earning 10 points and a 1.72 points per game average in conference matches.

Including McCoy, the Hornets placed a school record five players on the first team. Seniors Katie Burton and Amanda Gray, junior Kara Taylor, and sophomore Kim Kemper were also honored as first team selections.

Taylor earned first team honors for the second time in her career, while Burton, Gray and Kemper were first team honorees for the first time. Burton was honored for the third time overall, earning honorable mention honors in 2003 and second team honors in 2006. Gray posted a career year during her final year in the Green and Gold, finished tied for second in the conference in goals (6), and tied for third in points (15), points per game (0.83), and goals per game. Kemper tied with McCoy for the conference lead in assists (7) and assists per game (0.39), while ranking fifth in scoring (13).

Sacramento State’s lone second team selection was junior Sarah Howard, who improves on honorable mention honors she has received the past two seasons.

Three Hornets were named honorable mention, junior Missy Matzen, sophomore Mandy Trojan, and freshman Christina Trenton. Trojan finished second in the conference in goals against average (0.73), shutouts (8) and shutouts per game (0.47). Her eight clean sheets were the most in program history, and were in part to the play of honored defenders Burton, Taylor and Trenton as well as defensive midfielders Howard and Matzen.

The No. 1 seeded Hornets open up the 2007 Big Sky Soccer Championships on their home field, as they face No. 4 seed Portland State on Friday, Nov. 9 at Hornet Soccer Field. Kickoff is schedule for 1:30 p.m., and follows the other semifinal matchup of No. 2 seeded Weber State vs. No. 3 seeded Northern Colorado.