2001 Women's Soccer Season Review

In mid November 2001, BYU's women's soccer team finished another winning season with a 14-7-1, 5-1 record.

Head Coach Jennifer Rockwood led her team to its third consecutive Mountain West Conference Championship crown, defeating UNLV 2-1 in Las Vegas. The team also clinched the MWC regular season title with a 5-1 record.

The Cougars also advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" for the third time, losing 0-3 to a tough Nebraska team in Lincoln after defeating Kansas 1-0 in first round action. It was BYU's fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Women's College Cup Championships.

During the 2001 season the team faced four new opponents in Wake Forest, Tennessee, Virginia, and Kansas and went 1-3 defeating the Jayhawks 1-0. BYU remained undefeated in all-time conference play to the University of Utah (11-0), Air Force (5-0), and Wyoming (7-0). Cougar fans continue to support the team at South Field with an average of 1,087 cheering them on. In 2001 South Field saw crowds of over 1,000 in five of eight games where BYU finished the year 6-2.

The team averaged 2.2 goals per game and outshot opponents 19.1 to 9.4. BYU's high- powered scoring machine kicked in 48 goals to opponents 21 and tallied 42 assists compared with 14 for opponents.

Balanced scoring was a big factor in the Cougars winning season with six players tallying double-digit points. Leading the team with 27 points from nine assists and nine goals was sophomore All-American and MWC Player of the Year Aleisha Cramer. Following her was Kim Devine, a freshman, scoring 21 points from nine goals and three assists and junior forward Jeni Viernes with seven goals and seven assists for her 21 points as well. Sophomore forward Lydia Ojuka was next with 15 points from six goals and three assists. Kelly Hunsberger and Sarah Higham round out the double digit scoring for the Cougars with 10 points each. Another big contributor to the team was senior goal tender Jennifer Waldron. Waldron and defenders Aurelin Weidner, Annie Hoecherl and Rachelle Dixon had critical roles in BYU's 11 shutouts in the 2001 season.

Along with the MWC Championship the Cougars had many individual honors awarded to players. Sarah Yee was named an All-American Scholar Athlete by the NSCAA.Yee is only the second player for BYU's women's soccer program to receive this honor. Lydia Ojuka was named to the All Conference First Team. Joining her on the First Team All Conference were Jennie Christianson and Aleisha Cramer. Aurelin Weidner and Kim Devine were named to the All Conference Second Team. Ojuka and Christianson received accolades at the MWC Championship in Las Vegas, being named to the All-Tournament Team, with Ojuka picking up MVP honors. Aleisha Cramer received her second MWC Player of the Year award and was also named the 2001 Chevy Young Female Athlete of theYear, as well as First Team All-American. Cramer was also one of 10 college players nominated for the Hermann Trophy.