2001: Christina Bell didn't get on the field for the first month of the season, and her first four appearances were all in substitute roles. But the decision to change the CyberRays' alignment from two to three forwards with a 4-3-3 formation gave Bell her opportunity as the third front runner and she made the most of the opportunity. She finished the season with 12 starts, scoring two goals and assisting on four others to rank sixth on the team in scoring with eight points. Three of her assists came on game-winning goals, which put her in a four-way tie for second most in the WUSA. Of the players with whom she tied, she appeared in the fewest games. One of her goals came in a 1-1 tie 7/25 against the Atlanta Beat, which was the only standings point the CyberRays earned against the Beat in the regular season. In the WUSA championship game 8/25, Bell's long through ball to F Julie Murray produced a goal that pulled the CyberRays into a 2-2 tie against Atlanta at halftime. With Bell on the field, the CyberRays outscored opponents 17-7, a plus-minus rating of +10, tied for 3rd in the WUSA and highest on the team. Opponents outscored the CyberRays 16-10 with Bell on the bench.
Previous experience: Bell was the first player in Fresno State history to be named to the all-Western Athletic Conference first team. She led Sonoma State to the NCAA Division II final four her sophomore season, setting the school record for assists with 13. After transferring to Fresno State for her junior season, twice earned all-WAC honors. She was team captain and ranked second on the team in goals and scoring her senior year. Despite playing for the Bulldogs for only two seasons, she also ranks second in career goals (12) and scoring (29) at the school. She was team MVP both seasons.
Personal: Christina Lynne Bell. Born in Santa Rosa, Calif. Graduated cum laude from Fresno State with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology / Child Development. Only Fresno State athlete to win the Stan Bates Award as the Western Athletic Conference's top scholar-athlete. Father Steve is a dispatch manager for the sheriff's department; mother Lynda is an office manager.
2001 Regular Season Statistics
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