Three Highlanders Earn All-Big West Recognition
11/7/2006 3:10:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Irvine, CA—Three UC Riverside men's soccer players earned Big West All-Conference honors, it was announced Tuesday. Junior midfielder Andrew Villalobos was named to the second team while senior defender Josh Valerio and freshman forward Nathan Paterson were selected honorable mention.
Villalobos (Whittier, CA) set new career-highs with two goals, five assists, and nine points in 15 games, making 13 starts. His five assists led the team and was tied for sixth in the conference while also placing fifth on the UCR single-season record chart. This is the first All-Big West honor of his career.
Valerio (Westminster, CA) started all 18 games in 2006 and all 54 of his games as a Highlander since transferring from Fresno State prior to the 2004 season. He scored both of his career goals in 2004 but helped the UCR defense improve each season. It is also Valerio's first All-Big West selection.
Paterson (Modesto, CA) led UCR in scoring with 10 points, tying for the team lead with four goals. His four goals are tied for the seventh-most in the school's six-year Division I history. Paterson netted a team-high two game-winners, both against 2006 NCAA Championship participants. His first came in a 3-2 win over San Diego State on September 6 and the second was the lone goal on October 11 in a 1-0 victory over UC Santa Barbara, UCR's first over the Gauchos at the Division I level.
UCR went 5-12-2 overall and 2-6-2 in the Big West to place sixth.
Villalobos (Whittier, CA) set new career-highs with two goals, five assists, and nine points in 15 games, making 13 starts. His five assists led the team and was tied for sixth in the conference while also placing fifth on the UCR single-season record chart. This is the first All-Big West honor of his career.
Valerio (Westminster, CA) started all 18 games in 2006 and all 54 of his games as a Highlander since transferring from Fresno State prior to the 2004 season. He scored both of his career goals in 2004 but helped the UCR defense improve each season. It is also Valerio's first All-Big West selection.
Paterson (Modesto, CA) led UCR in scoring with 10 points, tying for the team lead with four goals. His four goals are tied for the seventh-most in the school's six-year Division I history. Paterson netted a team-high two game-winners, both against 2006 NCAA Championship participants. His first came in a 3-2 win over San Diego State on September 6 and the second was the lone goal on October 11 in a 1-0 victory over UC Santa Barbara, UCR's first over the Gauchos at the Division I level.
UCR went 5-12-2 overall and 2-6-2 in the Big West to place sixth.
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