For the first time since the 2015 season, the Wyoming Cowgirl soccer team had multiple selections on the All-Conference team, which was announced on Monday. Senior Taylor Burton was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-MW. It’s the first time in school history that a Cowgirl has earned Defensive Player of the Year honors. Fellow senior Annika Clayton earned Second Team honors and freshman Savannah Warner was selected to the All-Newcomer team. It is the first such honor for all three.
Taylor Burton, a defender from Centennial, Colo., started in all 11 conference matches and all 19 games for Wyoming. She logged 1,051 minutes of the 1,062 played by UW in MW action from her defender position. Burton helped the team record a school best eight shutouts for the second straight season. During league play, she recorded eight shots with six of them on goal and 11 shots overall with eight on goal. Burton has one goal on the season, which was the game winner in the Cowgirls 1-0 victory over Iowa, along with two points. Over the past four seasons, she has played in 76 contests which is tenth in school history, and 69 starts, which is 11th all-time. She has also logged 6,445 career minutes. Burton has six career goals and three assists from her defender position. She has 42 career shots, 25 shots on goal and four game winning goals, which is tied for tenth all-time.
Annika Clayton, a midfielder from Sydney, Australia, started in all 11 conference matches and all 19 games for the Cowgirls. She logged 903 minutes in MW action and 1,520 for the season. She finished with two goals during league play, including the game-winner against San Jose State plus took 15 shots and had one assist in that same contest. She has played in 63 contests, which includes 40 career starts. This season, she is tied for first in goals scored with four, first in points with ten and second in shots with 36. For her career, she has eight goals, 65 shots with 25 on goal and 22 points.
Savannah Warner, a defender from Ft. Collins, Colo., started in all 11 conference games along with 17 of 19 as a true freshman. She played 1,036 minutes in those starts and 1,671 for the entire season. Warner finished league play with two goals, which included the equalizer in the 26th minute against San Jose State, three shots and four points. She helped the team to four shutouts during the league action and a school best eight shutouts during the season.
The Cowgirls start the 2018 Mountain West Soccer Tournament on Thursday against the winner of the New Mexico and Colorado College game at the Spartan Soccer Complex in San Jose, California.
