W. Soccer: Quartet of players receive All-America awards

Head coach Ruben Gonzalez (middle) is flanked by All-Americans Adriana Salazar, Nayeli Requejo, Ashley Anaya-Webb and Makayla Mendoza

Posted: Jan 21, 2015

A quartet of Cerritos College women's soccer players, along with their top assistant coach, traveled to Philadelphia to collect their awards last week. The Falcons, CCCAA State Champions for the third year in a row, were on hand at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention in order for sophomores Nayeli Requejo, Adrianna Salazar, Ashley Anaya-Webb and Makayla Mendoza receive their All-America awards. Also making the trip was Memo Gonzalez, who was selected as the West Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

Cerritos defeated Santiago Canyon College, 2-0 in the state championship game. It marked the third season in a row the team shut out the Hawks in the finals.

Memo Gonzalez (left) is joined by his brother - and Falcon head coach Ruben Gonzalez - was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year Gonzalez has been with the Falcon coaching staff for eight seasons and has been an integral part of the team's four state championships and three national championships.

Requejo was named the NSCAA Division III (non-scholarship) Player of the Year and it marked the second year in a row that a Falcon player has been honored, with Claudia Lopez receiving the award last year. Also earning 1st team honors were Salazar and Mendoza, while Anaya-Webb was selected 2nd Team All-America.

Requejo led the team in points with 102, which included 37 goals and a school-record 28 assists. She ended her career as the school leader in career goals (63), career assists (42), career points (168), single-season assists (28) and single-season points (102). Her 37 goals this season were the second most in a season in school history.

Salazar was the starting goalkeeper in all 25 Falcon games this year and allowed just five goals all season with an 0.23 goals against average. She recorded 10 full-game shutouts and shared in nine other shutouts. Mendoza was just one of many instrumental parts of the team's defensive success on the year. The team allowed only four goals while she was on the field, while Mendoza posted one assist on the year.

Setting the school's single-season goals record was Anaya-Webb, who concluded the season with 42 goals. She also added 17 assists to finish with 101 points. Requejo and Anaya-Webb are the first duo in state history to score over 100 points. She scored goals in 20 of the team's 25 games, including a pair of four-goal performances.