Nov. 17, 2010
SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Junior Roger Downes was named the West Coast Conference Defender of the Year to highlight eight LMU players on the All-WCC teams as the conference released its postseason awards on Wednesday. Downes was also placed on the All-WCC First Team along with senior Rafael Baca while junior Artur Jozkowicz and sophomore David Ponce earned Second Team honors. Senior Vincent Ocampo and juniors Jack McCormack and Logan McDaniel all gained Honorable Mention status while Christian Alvarado garnered a place on the All-Freshman Team.
Downes (San Clemente, Calif.) was the anchor of LMU's defense that finished the regular season with the second-lowest goals-against-average in the WCC and the third-lowest season GAA in program history at 1.07. Downes started all 20 matches and led the team in minutes played (1798), helping the Lions to post five shutouts, their most since 2004. His defensive leadership secured him a place on the Wildcat Invitational All-Tournament Team and a place on the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week for September 27-Oct. 3. He also added his first career goal in the season-opening victory over San Diego State. Downes was an All-WCC Second Team selection in 2008 and Honorable Mention last year and becomes the second LMU player to be named the WCC Defender of the Year, joining Matt Kovar (2004).
Baca (Lawndale, Calif.) capped his stellar career by becoming just the second LMU player ever to earn three consecutive First Team honors. Baca led the league with eight assists, tied for second-most in a single season in LMU history. He added three goals and tied for fifth in the WCC with 14 points. Baca leaves LMU as number two in career games played (79), shots (213), and assists (19), third with 57 points, and fourth with 19 goals. A Preseason All-WCC selection, he earned WCC Player of the Week honors for the second time in his career on November 8 after scoring notching his third career two-goal game at Portland. Baca was also on the Wildcat Invitational All-Tournament Team and is the 10th-ranked player in the nation according to TopDrawerSoccer.com.
Jozkowicz (Krakow, Poland) and Ponce (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) were named to the Second Team after providing much of the offensive firepower for the Lions. Playing as LMU's right midfielder, Jozkowicz led the team and was third in the conference with seven goals and 18 points. The September WCC co-Player of the Month, Jozkowicz kept up his scoring during conference play with three goals and all four of his assists. He also earned a spot on the College Soccer News National Team of the Week for October 10.
A forward, Ponce made an immediate impact on the Lions after transferring from UC Santa Barbara. He led LMU with five goals and 13 points during WCC play and had six goals, five assists, and 15 points overall. Ponce tied the school single-season record four game-winning goals, with three coming during the conference season in both games against Saint Mary's and at home against San Diego. Ponce was the WCC October Player of the Month after being named the conference's Player of the Week on October 11 and 18, becoming the second LMU player in history to earn back-to-back weekly honors. He was named to the Wildcat Invitational All-Tournament Team following his overtime game-winner against Kentucky.
LMU's three players on the Honorable Mention list are testament to the team's strong defensive core. A Preseason All-WCC selection, Ocampo (San Diego, Calif.) was the anchor of LMU's defensive midfield and followed up Second Team honors in 2009 with his second selection to the Honorable Mention team. Ocampo started 15 of his 19 games, scored the game-winning goal at Gonzaga, and provided two assists on the year.
After earning Second Team All-WCC honors as a left midfielder in 2009, McDaniel (Palmdale, Calif.) dropped into the starting left-back slot in 2010 to give the Lions some added stability in the defense. His play helped the Lions to their 1.07 GAA while he did not lose touch with his offensive instincts, scoring twice and providing five assists for nine points. All but one of his points came in WCC competition as McDaniel was the catalyst for LMU's comeback efforts in wins at Portland and Gonzaga by scoring the first goals in each contest.
In his first full season as the LMU starting goalkeeper, McCormack (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) led the conference with a 1.01 goals-against-average and a school-record 12 wins. His GAA is fourth-best in LMU history while his five shutouts were third-most in the WCC and tied for fourth-most all-time at LMU.
Alvarado (Anaheim, Calif.) completed his first collegiate season with selection to the All-Freshman Team. A forward, Alvarado played in all 20 games, starting seven, and registered all four of his points (one goal, two assists) during conference play. His goal was a crucial one to LMU's conference success as it proved to be the game-winner in the WCC-opening win at San Francisco. He later added assists in home wins against Gonzaga and Portland.
The selections of Baca and Downes marked the first time that the Lions have placed multiple players on the All-WCC First Team since Nick Blanco and Bobby Burling in 2006. The eight overall All-Conference selections tie for the third-most in LMU history.
LMU finished atop the WCC standings, sharing the regular season title with Santa Clara. With a 12-6-2 overall record and 8-3-1 in conference, the Lions secured one of their best seasons in school history. LMU's previous best finish in the WCC had been second place in 2004 while this year's eight conference wins matched the school record also set in 2004. LMU posted 12 victories during the regular season, its most since 2003, and registered consecutive double-digit win seasons for the first time since 2003-04. The conference title is the first in men's soccer for LMU and the school's first since women's rowing and men's golf won the WCC crown in 2006.
- GO LIONS -  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Baca | Jozkowicz | Ponce | Ocampo | McCormack | McDaniel | Alvarado |
