SAN BRUNO, Calif. --- Senior midfielder Keelin Winters becomes the fourth straight Portland Pilots women’s soccer player to be named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year as 10 Pilots total earned all-league recognition. Portland senior Jessica Tsao was named the 2010 WCC Defensive Player of the Year, while head coach Garrett Smith earned his fourth straight WCC Coach of the Year honor. Santa Clara’s Julie Johnston was named the league’s top freshman, as voted upon by the WCC head coaches.

Winters and Tsao also join senior Elli Reed and junior Danielle Foxhoven on the All-WCC First Team. Sophomore Kendall Johnson and redshirt-freshman Cloee Colohan landed on the All-WCC Second Team, while juniors Halley Kreminski and Hailey DeYoung and freshmen Micaela Capelle and Michelle Cruz earned all-league honorable mention. Colohan, Capelle and Cruz were also placed on the league’s all-freshman team.

Portland led the league in both overall and first-team selections after claiming their fourth straight WCC title.

Winters, a native of Englewood, Colo., registered two goals and four assists this season from her holding midfield position. She becomes the ninth Pilot in WCC history to garner the league’s Player of the Year award, following former UP standouts Michelle Enyeart (2009), Megan Rapinoe (2008), Angie Woznuk (2007), Christine Sinclair (2005, 04, 02), Erin Misaki (2000), Justi Baumgardt (1996), Shannon MacMillan (1995, 93), and Tiffeny Milbrett (1994, 92).

Tsao is the fourth Portland player to win the conference’s top defensive honor, and the first since former UP stand-out Stephanie Lopez took home the award in 2007. Tsao helped anchor a Portland defense that allowed just one goal in conference play while posting six shutouts against WCC competition. Overall the Pilots gave up just 11 goals during the regular season.

Johnston is the eighth Bronco overall and the second straight to be named the WCC’s Freshman of the Year. She scored a pair of goals and added a team-high five assists.

Smith was awarded his fifth WCC Coach of the Year honor after leading the Pilots on a 31-game WCC unbeaten streak and to their record 12th league crown. UP earned a No. 1 seed for the 2010 NCAA Playoffs and will open against UT-San Antonio in the First Round on Friday night at Merlo Field.

2010 WCC Awards
Player of the Year: Keelin Winters, Portland
Defensive Player of the Year: Jessica Tsao, Portland
Freshman of the Year: Julie Johnston, Santa Clara
Coach of the Year: Garrett Smith, Portland

All-WCC First Team
(Name, Year, Position, School)
Danielle Foxhoven, Jr., F, Portland
Bianca Henninger, Jr., GK, Santa Clara
Jordan Marada, Fr., MF, Saint Mary’s
Tawni Martino, Fr., F, Loyola Marymount
Stephanie Ochs, Jr., F, San Diego
Michelle Pao, Fr., D/F, Pepperdine
Anessa Patton, Sr., F, Santa Clara
Elli Reed, Sr., D, Portland
Jessica Tsao, Sr., D, Portland
Keelin Winters, Sr., MF, Portland
Jackie Zinke, Sr., MF, San Diego

All-WCC Second Team
Briana Campos, Fr., F, Saint Mary’s
Cloee Colohan, Fr., D, Portland
Rachel Fell, So., MF, Loyola Marymount
Natalie Garcia, Jr., D, San Diego
Kendall Johnson, So., MF, Portland
Lindsey Johnson, Sr., D/MF, Santa Clara
Julie Johnston, Fr., MF, Santa Clara
Sheridan Jones, Sr., MF, Gonzaga
Olivia Klei, So., D, Santa Clara
Ashley O’Brien, Sr., D, San Francisco
Amanda Poach, Sr., MF, Santa Clara

All-WCC Honorable Mention
Roxanne Barker (Pepperdine), Micaela Capelle (Portland), Alex Ciliento (Saint Mary’s), Laura Cole (Pepperdine), Michelle Cruz (Portland), Catherine Cullen (Gonzaga), Kristin DeGrandmont (Pepperdine), Hailee DeYoung (Portland), Julie Gallaudet (Loyola Marymount), Cassie Geerdts (Gonzaga), Etajha Gilmer (Loyola Marymount), Maxine Goynes (Santa Clara), Nickey Ha (Loyola Marymount), Hanna Haanes (San Francisco), Taylor Housley (San Diego), Brittany Jagger (Loyola Marymount), Gunny Jonsdottir (Pepperdine), Halley Kreminski (Portland), Lauren Maris (San Francisco), Lauren Matheson (Santa Clara), Ashlyn Mazur (San Francisco), Cori McGovern (Loyola Marymount), Christina Moberg (San Francisco), Jordan Nelson (Loyola Marymount), Courtney Parsons (San Diego), Daelyn Paul (Saint Mary’s), Ellie Rice (Santa Clara), Caroline Shevlin (Saint Mary’s), Meleana Shim (Santa Clara), Kelsea Smith (Pepperdine), Elle Sweeney (Gonzaga).

2010 All-WCC Freshman Team
Micaela Capelle, F, Portland
Cloee Colohan, D, Portland
Michelle Cruz, MF, Portland
Taylor Housley, MF, San Diego
Brittany Jagger, GK, Loyola Marymount
Julie Johnston, MF, Santa Clara
Jordan Marada, MF, Saint Mary’s
Tawni Martino, F, Loyola Marymount
Kelley McCloskey, MF, San Diego
Christina Moberg, MF, San Francisco
Michelle Pao, D/F, Pepperdine