LARAMIE, Wyo. – The Mountain West announced its 2023 women’s soccer all-conference teams and individual award winners on Sunday morning ahead of the 2023 Mountain West Women’s Soccer Championship in Laramie, Wyoming.
San Diego State junior forward Denise Castro was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, while Utah State senior defender Kelsey Kaufusi was tabbed the MW Defensive Player of the Year. Colorado State sophomore forward Olivia Fout was selected as the MW Newcomer of the Year. Utah State head coach Manny Martins was voted as the MW Coach of the Year. The individual awards and All-Mountain West teams were selected by the league’s 12 head coaches.
Castro is the fourth Aztec and first since 2020 to be named MW Offensive Player of the Year. The junior is tied for the most points (17) in league play after recording six goals and five assists. She finished league action tied for the most assists and second in goals in 11 starts.
For the eighth year in a row, a defender has claimed MW Defensive Player of the Year honors, as Kaufusi becomes the second Aggie in program history to earn the honor and first since 2014. Kaufusi anchored the Aggies’ backline that registered six shutouts and allowed just six goals in league play.
In her first season with Colorado State, Fout becomes the first Ram to earn MW Newcomer of the Year honors. The sophomore registered five goals and two assists for 12 points in 10 MW games, posting the fifth-most points in the Conference in 2023.
In his third season with Utah State, Martins led the Aggies to their third-straight Conference tournament appearance and highest seed in program history. With a 9-2-0 record in MW action, he is the first coach from Utah State to be named MW Coach of the Year.
In Sunday’s opening round, No. 3 Boise State plays No. 6 Nevada at 11 a.m. MT, followed by No. 4 Colorado State vs. No. 5 Fresno State at 2 p.m. MT. The winner of Sunday’s first match will take on No. 2 seed Utah State at 11 a.m. MT on Wednesday, Nov. 1, in the first of two semifinal matches. The other semifinal contest on Wednesday will pit top-seed San Diego State against the winner of Sunday’s No. 4 vs. No. 5 contest at 2 p.m. MT.
The winners of the semifinal matches will vie for the Conference championship title on Saturday, Nov. 4. The winner will be crowned the 2023 MW women’s soccer champion and punch its ticket to the NCAA women’s soccer tournament.
For more information on the championship, visit the 2023 MW Women’s Soccer Championship Central page.
