Nov. 19, 2003
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University men's soccer team had five of its players earn spots on the 2003 All-West Coast Conference teams while head coach Cameron Rast was named the WCC Coach of the Year on Wednesday.
Rast earns Coach of the Year honors in only his second season at the helm of his alma mater. He guided the Broncos to a 5-1-0 mark in league play, earning the 2003 WCC Championship. He led SCU to a top-10 ranking for most of the year, currently at No. 6 according to Soccer America, and will take the squad into the NCAA Tournament, which begins Friday evening at 7 p.m. against No. 15 SMU in Buck Shaw Stadium.
"This is much more of a recognition for my players than it is for me," said Rast. "We have a great tradition of soccer here at Santa Clara and it is the players who perform on the field that deserve the credit. I feel very fortunate to be able to work with such talented student-athletes."
Juniors Ryan Cochrane, Steve Cronin and Will Weatherly, who all fit that definition of talented student-athletes, secured first team honors following their standouts seasons. Cochrane helped the Broncos to a 0.65 goals-against average during the season while being named a Finalist for the M.A.C. Hermann Award, which will be announced at the College Cup.
Cronin posted the league's best goals-against average with his 0.59 mark. His career goals-against average was lowered to 0.47 this season, giving him the second lowest mark in WCC history, second only to U.S. National Team keeper and former Portland standout Kasey Keller.
Weatherly led the league in shots and paced the Broncos with his 14 points that came on six goals and two assists. His game-winning goal against San Diego secured the league title for the Broncos and gave them the conference's automatic berth into the postseason.
Freshman Erik Ustruck earned second team All-WCC honors after the midfielder from Manchester, Mo., scored three goals in league play, all three of which were game-winners. Sophomore Kelechi Igwe rounded out the Bronco honorees as his honorable mention selection came after he tallied four goals and notched a team-high four assists in 2003.
Rast's selection as WCC Coach of the Year is the fourth such honor for a SCU men's soccer head coach in the 15-year history of soccer in the conference. Steve Samson claimed the honor in 1989 while Mitch Murray, Rast's predecessor and mentor, earned the honor in both 1991 and 2001.