Nov. 16, 2005

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - A league-high eight Santa Clara University men's soccer players earned all-West Coast Conference honors, while the conference's coaches selected senior Mehdi Ballouchy as the league's Player of the Year, the conference office announced today.

Santa Clara's Ballouchy (Casablanca, Morocco) and Hector Guzman (San Jose, Costa Rica) were named to the all-WCC first team, while senior Kelechi Igwe (Belmont, Calif) and Peter Lowry (Fair Oaks, Calif.) earned second-team honors. Junior Keith DeVey (Kula, Hawai'i), freshman Jide Ogunbiyi (Gwynedd, Pa.), Jeff Scott (Granite Bay, Calif.) and Kevin Sweeney (San Jose, Calif.) were named to the honorable mention list. Ogunbiyi was also named to the WCC's all-Freshman team.

Santa Clara's eight all-WCC honorees equals the most for the Broncos since 1997.

"When you speak about players who can win you a national championship, you speak about players like Mehdi Ballouchy." SCU Head Coach Cameron Rast.

Ballouchy, who is a candidate for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy that is awarded to the nation's top college player, is the fourth Bronco since 1989 to be named the WCC's Player of the Year. He joins Jeff Baicher, Cameron Rast (twice), Paul Holocher, Peter Cochran, Joe Cannon, David Alexander, Adam Eyre and Jeff Stewart among the list for former Santa Clara players to be named either the league's player or defender of the year.

Santa Clara hosts Ohio State in its first round NCAA Tournament match Friday night at 7 p.m. at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Broncos finished the regular-season with a 12-6-2 record and finished second in the West Coast Conference. The winner of Friday's match travels to Berkeley, Calif. to play seventh-seeded California on Tuesday, Nov. 22.

Tickets for Friday's match are available by calling 408/554-4660 or online by clicking here.

2005 West Coast Conference Postseason Honors

Player of the Year: Mehdi Ballouchy, Santa Clara
Defender of the Year: Rob Valentino, San Francisco
Freshman of the Year: Michael Clegg, Saint Mary's
Co-Coaches of the Year: Einar Thorarinsson, Gonzaga & Erik Visser, San Francisco

All-WCC First Team
Luis Aguilar, USF; Sean Babcock, POR; Mehdi Ballouchy, SCU; Michael Clegg, SMC; Carlos Diaz, SMC; Hector Guzman, SCU; George Josten, GON; Kevin Meissner, USD; Luis Robles, POR; Rob Valentino, USF; Junior Ybarra, LMU

All-WCC Second Team
Aaron Chandler, USF; Matt Fitzgerald, SMC; Miguel Guante, POR; Ryan Guy, USD; Kelechi Igwe, SCU; Peter Lowry, SCU; Scott Martin, USD; Armando Melendez, LMU; Ben Sawyer, GON; Geremy Uhl, USF; Tommy Von Bromsen, USD

All-WCC Honorable Mention
Mike Bagheri, USF; Bobby Burling, LMU; Jimmy Burling, LMU; Stephen Carlson, LMU; Michael Caso, USD; Alex Christlieb, SMC; Drew Chrostek, POR; Jawaan Delaney, LMU; Keith DeVey, SCU; Trini Gomez, LMU; Jeff Griffin, POR; Vito Higgins, GON; Kevin Long, USF; Brian Mason, SMC; Brandon McDonald, USF; Matt Mejia, LMU; Jide Ogunbiyi, SCU; Sam Reeder, USD; Calle Rehndahl, USD; Jeff Scott, SCU; Mark Stock, GON; Kevin Sweeney, SCU

All-Freshman Team
Mike Bagheri, USF; Drew Chrostek, POR; Michael Clegg, SMC; Jawaan Delaney, LMU; Ben Dessard, USF; Carlos Diaz, SMC; Alex Elliott, POR; Chris Hoyd, GON; Scott Meslin, GON; Jide Ogunbiyi, SCU; Sam Reeder, USD