Three Cougars Named to NSCAA West Region Soccer Teams

PROVO -- The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) announced Thursday its selections for the 2002 NSCAA West Region Soccer Team. Named to this year's teams were three Cougars, including two first-team players and a third-team selection.

Senior forward/midfielder Jeni Viernes and junior midfielder/defender Aleisha Cramer-Rose were both named to the first team while freshman Brooke Bowman grabbed third-team honors.

Viernes, a two-time MWC Player of the Week and MWC Player of the Year, led BYU with 17 goals and five assists, good for 39 points. This is Viernes' second All-America honor. The lone senior on the Cougar squad, Viernes was a critical component in several key victories, including scoring both goals against then No. 2-ranked Portland and a four-goal outburst against SDSU in the MWC tournament final.

Cramer-Rose's unparalleled accuracy with the ball gave BYU a deadly weapon throughout the season as she picked up her third All-America honor. The All-MWC first team selection had 12 assists in 2002, placing her second in Cougar history for assists in a season behind Kim Lowe's 15. The Lakewood, Colo., native also added a scoring punch to BYU's lineup, as when her penalty kick found the back of the net to give the Cougars a 3-2 win over then No. 23 Notre Dame.

Bowman, the MWC Freshman of the Year, scored eight goals in her first season as a Cougar, second only to Viernes' 17. Bowman notched two game-winning goals on the year, including the game winner in BYU's 3-2 win over New Mexico. A native of Plano, Texas, Bowman was also named to the All-MWC First Team, MWC Tournament team and earned MWC Player of the Week honors.