Nov. 16, 1999

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Gonzaga University juniors Brian Ching and Jason Kuska were named to the All-West Coast Conference men's soccer first team today, while senior J.C. Fernandez was a second-team selection in a vote of the league's coaches.

Ching, who sat out the 1998 season with a knee injury, was a second-team selection in 1997 while Fernandez was a second-team pick in 1997.

Midfielder/forwards Justin Franson and Mike Thompson earned honorable mention honors for the Bulldogs.

Ching and Kuska were the offensive stalwarts for the Bulldogs. Ching, from Haleiwa, HI, scored 13 goals and had 7 assists for 33 points . He led the WCC in conference play with 7 goals and 3 assists for 14 points. Kuska, from Moscow, ID, had 12 goals and 6 assists for 30 points. He finished fourth in conference play with 10 points coming on 4 goals and a pair of assists. Ching finished third and Kuska tied for fourth in the overall scoring chase.

Fernandez was again one of the mainstays of the Gonzaga defense, his play instrumental in Gonzaga's 4-3-1 record against nationally-ranked teams which included a victory over then top-ranked Creighton University.

Franson. a junior from Kennewick, WA, scored 3 goals and had 3 assists for 9 points. Thompson, a senior from Coeur d'Alene, ID, had 4 goals and an assist for 9 points. Thompson was a first-team pick a year while picking up a lot of the offensive void left by Ching's absence.

Gonzaga finished 9-8-1 overall, 3-3-0 in the WCC. The Bulldogs' title hopes went down to the final match, needing a victory over the University of Portland and a loss or tie by Santa Clara University to earn the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. SCU tied Loyola Marymount University, but the Bulldogs suffered a 5-2 home setback to the Pilots.

All seven West Coast Conference teams that sponsor men's soccer were represented on the All-WCC team. The WCC is sending three teams into the NCAA Tournament, with at-large selections Santa Clara and Portland joining regular-season champ University of San Diego in the field.

San Diego senior midfielder Brian O'Connor and Portland freshman forward Conor Casey shared the Player of the Year honor, both receiving an identical number of points in the coaches' weighted balloting. O'Connor, who had three goals and four assists for the conference champion Toreros, is the fifth USD player chosen as the league's best, the fourth in the past five seasons.

Casey, who is also the league's Freshman of the Year, is the first rookie named as the Player of the Year. He set a WCC record by netting 23 goals (23-6-52) and leads the nation in scoring. Santa Clara senior defender Adam Eyre earned the Defender of the Year award by anchoring a stingy SCU defense which yielded a league-low ten goals this season. Eyre, on the first team for the second year in a row, was the 1996 Freshman of the Year. He is the only repeat first-team player on this year's list.

San Diego coach Seamus McFadden and Loyola Marymount's Paul Krumpe share the Coach of the Year honor as both led their teams to school records in victories. McFadden, who also earned the award last year, now owns six WCC coaching honors in his 21 years at USD. Krumpe, in his second year, has quickly restructured LMU's program into a competitive force in the conference as the Lions posted their first .500 season in history.

CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brian O'Connor, San Diego, Sr., MF, Escondido, CA
Conor Casey, Portland, Fr., F, Denver, CO
 
DEFENDER OF THE YEAR
Adam Eyre, Santa Clara, Sr., D, Agoura Hills, CA
 
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Conor Casey, Portland, Fr., F, Denver, CO (23 goals, 6 assists)

CO-COACH OF THE YEAR
Seamus McFadden, San Diego (6th award, 2nd in a row, 21st year)
 
Paul Krumpe, Loyola Marymount (1st honor, 2nd season)
 
FIRST TEAM SCHOOL YR POS HOMETOWN G-A-TP
Alex Akerjordet San Francisco Sr F Oslo, Norway 9-4-22
Conor Casey Portland Fr F Denver, CO 23-6-52
Brian Ching Gonzaga Jr F Haleiwa, HI 13-7-33
Eric Denton Santa Clara Sr D Manteca, CA 1-6-8
Adam Eyre** Santa Clara Sr D Agoura Hills, CA 0-0-0
Rusty Johnson Santa Clara So GK O'Fallon, IL 0.52 GAA
Jason Kuska Gonzaga Jr F Moscow, ID 12-5-29
Nick Marcum Saint Mary's So MF San Diego, CA 4-1-9
Brian O'Connor San Diego Sr MF Escondido, CA 3-4-10
Arturo Torres LMU Fr F Wilmington, CA 16-4-36
Brian Winters Portland Sr MF Tacoma, WA 0-4-4

SECOND TEAM SCHOOL YR POS HOMETOWN G-A-TP
Andre Childers* LMU Sr D Encinitas, CA 0-2-2
Matt Domingo Portland So MF San Jose, CA 0-1-1
J.C. Fernandez Gonzaga Sr D Haiku, HI 0-2-2
Antonio Gonzales San Diego Sr MF Mesa, AZ 2-1-5
Kelly Gray Portland Fr F San Jose, CA 13-4-30
Per Christian Larsen San Francisco Sr MF Bergen, Norway 3-5-11
Andres Murriagui LMU Fr MF Laguna Hills, CA 4-3-11
Levi Parker San Diego Sr F Las Vegas, NV 8-6-22
Steve Reardon Saint Mary's Sr GK Danville, CA 1.89 GAA
Jeff Stewart Santa Clara So D Bellevue, WA 2-0-4
Garrett Turk San Diego Fr D Laguna Nigel, CA 0-2-2

*Times on 1st team
 	 
Honorable Mention

Gonzaga - Justin Franson, Mike Thompson
Loyola Marymount - Jeff Kovar
Portland - Casey Barber, Curtis Spiteri
Saint Mary's - Jon Gordon, Brian Kummer, Eric Reed
San Diego - Matt Hall, Erin O'Connor, Mike Marvil
San Francisco -  Mike Crivello, Tim Garlick, Gerard Hylkema
Santa Clara - Sean-Michael Callahan, Anthony Chimienti, Shawn Percell, Kyle Smith