Four BYU players named to All-West Region Team

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The United Soccer Coaches named four BYU women's soccer players to the NCAA Division I All-West Region on Tuesday afternoon. Jamie Shepherd, Laveni Vaka and Brecken Mozingo were First Team selections, with midfielder Olivia Wade named to the Third Team.

The Cougars ended their season with an NCAA Tournament run, making it to the Sweet 16 before falling 3-2 to the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday, Nov. 19. The women’s soccer team finished its 2022 season with a 11-3-7 overall record, going 6-0-3 in conference play. 

Shepherd, the WCC Midfielder of the Year and First Team All-Region pick for the second time, finished the season with seven goals, five assists and 19 points. As a team captain, Shepherd led BYU to its sixth Sweet Sixteen tournament appearance. She was also named to the 2022 preseason MAC Hermann Trophy watch list.

As the WCC Defender of the Year, Vaka has been picked for the First Team All-Region for the second year in a row. At defense, Vaka has anchored BYU’s backline with her speed and aggressive style of play. She played in all 21 games this season, tallying one assist and securing eight shutouts for the Cougars. Vaka was also named to the 2022 preseason MAC Hermann Trophy watch list.

Mozingo, being named First Team All-Region for the first time, led one of the most dominant offenses in the country, ranking No. 1 nationally in shots per game (5.78) and leading the WCC in total assists (10) on the season. With two WCC Player of the Week awards this year, Mozingo went on a five-game scoring streak, tallying six goals and two assists during that period. Overall, she led the Cougars in goals (12), assists (10) and points (34) this season. 

Along with her Third Team All-Region pick, Wade was also named to the WCC Second Team following the 2022 season. Wade tallied nine goals, five assists and 23 points this season. Her goal in the NCAA Second Round match against the Stanford Cardinal helped the Cougars advance to the Sweet 16 on PK’s, where she also scored against the UNC Tar Heels.