Nov. 9, 2004

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara senior forward Jennifer Borcich was chosen the Big West Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season and the third time in her four-year career, it was announced Tuesday. In addition, Borcich became the first Gaucho player to earn First Team All-Big West honors four years in a row.

A native of Sacramento, Borcich finished the season with a Big West-leading 15 goals and 35 points. She had five assists to go with her 15 goals. She capped her UCSB career in the first round of the Big West Tournament last week, when she recorded the third hat trick of her career, scoring three of the team's goals in a 4-2 win over Cal State Northridge.

Borcich completes her four years in Santa Barbara with 56 goals, 26 assists, and 138 points. She is third all-time in goals and points, fifth in assists. Borcich was also instrumental in turning around the Gaucho program. Prior to her arrival, UCSB had not recorded a double-figure total in wins in seven years. In fact, the program had not posted a winning record since 1993. In Borcich's first season, the Gauchos went 11-7-1 and the team proceeded to record four straight winning seasons, four years of 11 or more wins, and a total of 48 victories in her four campaigns.

Borcich was the lone UCSB player selected First Team All-Big West, but sophomore forward Allie Kueny (five goals, four assists, 14 points), junior midfielder Kristyn Bright (one goal, two assists, four points), and junior defender Katie Cooper (21 starts for a team that had a 1.01 goals against average and nine shutouts) were all chosen to Second Team All-Big West. Senior forward Randi Johns (four goals, seven assists, 15 points) and sophomore midfielder Darci Gwartz (two goals, six assists, ten points) were Honorable Mention All-Big West. Sophomore forward Chandi Bickford, who had a league-leading ten assists to go with three goals and a total of 16 points, was inexplicably left off all three of the All-Big West levels.

Other award winners included Cal State Fullerton's Kellie Cox, the Big West Midfielder of the Year, Cal State Fullerton's Karen Bardsley, the Big West Goalkeeper of the Year, Cal Poly's Sierra Simmons, the Big West Defensive Player of the Year, UC Riverside's Jenna Leonti, the Big West Freshman of the Year, and Cal State Northridge's Terry Davila, the Big West Coach of the Year.