Former Yavapai College soccer player Roger Espinoza led Wigan Athletic to their first Football Association Cup title in its 81-year history by beating big-spending and heavily favored Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley Stadium in London, England on Saturday. In one of the greatest FA Cup final upsets of all time, Espinoza played the entire match for Wigan which featured the winning goal coming off a corner kick in the 90th minute.

Espinoza played 50 matches for the Roughriders in 2005 and 2006 before moving on to Ohio State University. The NJCAA Hall of Famer is a member of the Honduras National Team and played in the most recent World Cup. He also played for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer from 2008 to 2012.

The FA Cup is a knockout cup competition in English Football and is the oldest association football competition in the world dating back to 1871. Both Wigan Athletic and Manchester City play in the English Premier League (EPL).

A total of 34 Yavapai College student-athletes earned a grade point average of a 3.00 or higher for the 2012 fall semester. Those that earned a 3.00 or higher were named to the YC Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. Three of those 34 student-athletes finished the semester with a 4.0 GPA.

Those student-athletes earning the honor were:

* Drew Turbin (baseball); * Sam Cusack (soccer); * Jen Sadler (volleyball); Spencer Applebach (baseball); Rysen Barnett (soccer); Valerie Luera (softball); Jade Yost (softball); Becca Long (volleyball); Brandi Heimburg (softball); Ryan Petersen (baseball); Kasey Oliver (softball); Sarah Thompson (softball); Liz Ary (volleyball); Darbi Elkins (volleyball); Krysthian Leal (baseball); Joseph Lutostanski (soccer); Alex Lownes (baseball); William Waterman (baseball); Gouedan Halley (soccer); Brooke Eifert-Pancamo (softball); Hannah Hill (volleyball); Kyle Morris (soccer); Alonso Diaz (soccer); Peter Lenstrohm (baseball); Brandon Matthews (baseball); Jasmine Solley (volleyball); Stephen Carbajal (baseball); Jordan Schlehuber (baseball); Nicholas Sagendorf (baseball); Lauren Gourdin (softball); Albert Larson (soccer); Chris Burks (baseball); Kyle Toth (baseball); Rowan Bond (volleyball).

* Denotes 4.0

Five Yavapai College soccer players were named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Continental Tire All-West Team. They include sophomore defenders Sam Cusack and Eduardo Jasso along with sophomore midfielder Carlos Lara. In addition, forwards Julien Dragomir (19 goals, 14 assists) and Alex Harlley (22 goals, 17 assists) were also named to the All-West squad that included players from colleges in Texas, Washington and Mississippi. The Roughriders finished the 2012 season with a 21-3-0 record, tied for the most wins in the country. In the process, Yavapai captured conference and region championships, their 68th & 69th overall titles, which includes seven national championships. This past season, the program won its 500th match and enters the 2013 campaign with an all-time mark of 517-43-18.

Yavapai College, Ariz. (21-2)*
Highest Seed
*Advances to West District Championship

Champion: Northwest College, Wyo. (17-6)*
Runner-up: Western Wyoming Community College (14-9-1)*
Western Wyoming Community College
Rock Springs, Wyoming
*Advances to NJCAA National Championhip; West District will send two representatives to 2012 National Championship (runner-up advaces)