PACIFIC COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE / NOV. 13, 2017
Women's honors go to Mesa's Cosgrove, Palomar's Lopez
The Pacific Coast Athletic Conference has awarded Women's Athlete of the Week honors to San Diego Mesa soccer player Madison Cosgrove and Palomar soccer player Rosa Lopez.
Cosgrove, a freshman forward from Palm Desert High School, helped lead the way as the Olympians, who spent almost the entire season in second place, won the PCAC South Division championship on the final day.
Her fourth assist of the season in the 40th minute and 11th goal of the year in the 44th minute put the icing on the cake as Mesa won its fifth straight conference title, with the help of a Grossmont upset of season-long leader Southwestern, with a 9-0 victory over Imperial Valley. Earlier in the week, Cosgrove scored goals in the 49th and 52nd minutes to help the Olympians down San Diego City College 7-0.
Cosgrove finished the season with 26 points and had four game-winners as Mesa went 8-1-1 in conference to edge runner-up by a point and end the regular season 14-4-1.
The Olympians will be making their 17th Southern California Regional appearance in 20 years.
Lopez, Palomar's freshman goalkeeper from Guajome Park Academy, a Vista Unified School District school in Oceanside, shut out North Division champion San Bernardino Valley, the fifth-ranked team in the nation as the Comets tied the Wolverines 0-0 on the final day of to finish alone in second place.
Lopez recorded 10 saves.
San Bernardino finished the regular season 18-1-1 and won the conference title with a 9-0-1 record.
HONORABLE MENTION
Miyah Dickerson-James (Grossmont Soccer), the Griffins' freshman goalkeeper out of Monte Vista High School, shut out previously unbeaten Southwestern 1-0 in the final game of the regular season, allowing Mesa to win the PCAC South title. After going undefeated overall throughout the regular season, the Jaguars finished one point behind the Olympians in the conference standings.
Vinessa Perryman (Palomar Basketball), a 5-foot-6 sophomore guard from Valley Center High School, helped the Comets, a state Final Four team last season, win the championship of the Hemet Lions Club Tip-Off Tournament hosted by another state power, Mt. San Jacinto. Perryman led the Comets past Barstow 89-51 in the first round with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and a block. She came back in the semifinals with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and a block as Palomar defeated Chaffey 95-41. On the final night of the tournament, she helped the Comets come from 19 points down to defeat the host Eagles 69-66 for the tournament title with 9 points and 6 assists.
Britney Thomas (Mt. San Jacinto Basketball), the Eagles' 6-foot-2 sophomore forward out of San Jacinto High School, scored 27 points and also contributed 8 rebounds and 3 blocks as the Eagles opened play in their own Tip-Off Tournament with a 108-45 rout of San Diego Mesa. In the semifinals, she had 19 points, 19 rebounds and 3 blocks in a 68-45 win over Antelope Valley. In the championship game vs. Palomar, Thomas scored 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.
Violeti Faleumu (MiraCosta Volleyball), a 6-foot-0 outside hitter / right-side hitter from Vista High School, contributed a double-double including 12 kills as the PCAC North champion Spartans defeated South Division co-champion San Diego City College in a cross-over match 25-11, 24-26, 25-22, 25-16.