In what is becoming a nearly daily occurrence, a pair of Portland soccer players have received further national recognition. Christine Sinclair’s talents have resulted in domestic and world-wide acclaim, while Curtis Spiteri’s professional dreams have gotten off to a local start.

SINCLAIR WINS HONDA AWARD: University of Portland sophomore forward Christine Sinclair was announced today as the winner of the Honda Award as the top woman collegiate player in soccer for the 2002 season. Sinclair, who led Portland to the 2002 NCAA Women’s College Cup title and tied for the national goal-scoring title, is now a candidate for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the Honda-Broderick Cup that is awarded annually to the nation’s top athlete.

Sinclair follows Shannon MacMillan (1995-96) as a Honda Award winner, and is the eighth Honda Award soccer finalist from the University of Portland (Tiffeny Milbrett - 1991-92; 1992-93; 1994-95; Shannon MacMillan - 1995-96; Justi Baumgardt - 1996-97; 1997-98; Michelle French - 1998-99).

SINCLAIR SIXTH IN FIFA VOTING: University of Portland sophomore forward Christine Sinclair finished sixth in recent voting for the world’s best women’s soccer player as conducted by FIFA, collecting first-place votes from national team coaches in Congo, Guyana, Israel, Peru and Tonga. Coaches weren’t allowed to vote for their own players in the FIFA balloting.

Mia Hamm, who won the inaugural award last year, won again with 161 points in balloting by 77 coaches. German striker Birgit Prinz was second with 96 and Chinese midfielder Sun Wen third with 58. Sinclair had 38 points, also garnering four second-place votes and one third-place ballot.

SPITERI SELECTED BY TIMBERS IN A-LEAGUE DRAFT: University of Portland senior goalkeeper Curtis Spiteri was the second pick of the Portland Timbers in today’s A-League college draft.

Spiteri, 21, was a first-team all-West Coast Conference and third-team all-Far West selection during his 2002 senior season with the Pilots program. Originally from Vista, Calif., Spiteri started 19 of Portland’s 20 matches in 2002, logging eight shutouts and laying claim to 10 of the Pilots’ 11 wins on their way to their first WCC title in a decade.

The Pilots’ keeper led the WCC in shutouts and in goals-against average (0.73) this season.