WALNUT CREEK, Calif. ? For the second time in her collegiate career, Cal State Dominguez Hills senior Rachele McDonald was chosen as the California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Soccer Most Valuable Player of the Year, by a vote of the league's head coaches.
The coaches also voted Mary Carroll of Cal Poly as Freshman of the Year and Karly Huerta of Cal State L.A. as the Newcomer of the Year. UC San Diego head coach Brian McManus was selected Coach of the Year. Additionally, 30 student-athletes were named to the All-CCAA First and Second Teams with 15 players receiving honorable mention.
McDonald, a forward from Buena, won this award as a sophomore in 2004. In 2006, McDonald led the Toros to 11-8-1 overall and 10-5-1 CCAA records. She led the CCAA in points with 34 on 13 goals and eight assists. McDonald is second in goals scored and is tie for the lead in assists. She became just the second player to win the top player award twice in a CCAA career. Cal Poly Pomona's Ruth Van't Land had received this honor in 1998 and 2000.
Carroll, a forward from Upland, was picked as the top freshman as she is among the league leaders offensively. She is third in the conference with 10 goals with 21 total points. Since the inception of this award in 2001, Cal Poly Pomona freshmen have won this award three of the six seasons.
Huerta, a junior defender from Folsom, was named the Newcomer of the Year. The transfer from American River College led a Cal State L.A. defense that allowed 1.32 goals per match.
McManus was selected as the CCAA Coach of the Year for the fourth time since UCSD became a full member in 2000. He received this honor in 2000, 2001 and 2003. McManus has led the Tritons to a league-best 13-1-2 CCAA record (16-1-2 overall) and is currently ranked No. 3 in the NFCAA Top 25 and No. 1 in the NCAA Far West Region. McManus' Tritons will be seeking their sixth conference title this weekend at the CCAA Championship tournament.
In addition to the Coach of the Year award, the Tritons also placed seven student-athletes on the three All-CCAA teams. Seniors Megan Dickey and Kelly Cochran earned First Team honors while seniors Heather Sugg and Alise Malley, along with junior Kathy Sepulveda and sophomore Amanda Esquivel earned Second Team accolades. Junior Caitlin Ryan was named an Honorable Mention All-CCAA award winner.
2006 California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Soccer Honors
Most Valuable Player of the Year: Rachele McDonald, CSU Dominguez Hills (SR, F, Buena)
Freshman of the Year: Mary Carroll, Cal Poly Pomona (F, Upland)
Newcomer of the Year: Karly Huerta, Cal State L.A. (JR, D, Folsom)
Coach of the Year: Brian McManus, UC San Diego
All-CCAA FIRST TEAM
Pos. Name Institution Year Hometown
GK Staci Self Humboldt State SR Rancho Santa Margarita
D Megan Catton Sonoma State SR Rohnert Park
D Jennifer Hogans Chico State SR Rocklin
D Brooke Peterson Sonoma State SO Windsor
MF Kelly Cochran UC San Diego SR Westlake Village
MF Megan Dickey UC San Diego SR Del Mar
MF Erika Prado Cal State L.A. JR West Covina
AL Rachele McDonald (F) Cal State Dom. Hills SR Ventura
AL Mary Carroll (F) Cal Poly Pomona FR Upland
AL Kim Halloran (MF) Humboldt State SR Santa Rosa
AL Marti Tenuissen (F) Cal State Stanislaus SR Manteca
AL Katherine Bagwell (F) Chico State JR Beaverton, Ore.
AL Amy Coffman (D) Cal State San Bernardino SR Rancho Cucamonga
AL Pamela Leyva (F) Cal Poly Pomona SO Indio
AL Corrie Hirokawa (F) Cal State Dom. Hills JR Torrance
All-CCAA SECOND TEAM
Pos. Name Institution Year Hometown
GK Kari Gonzales Chico State JR Manteca
D Sandy Lloyd Cal State Dom. Hills JR Fountain Valley
D Lindsey Harpham Humboldt State SR Eureka
D Morgan Davidson San Francisco State SO Arlington, Va.
MF Heather Sugg UC San Diego SR Lake Forrest
MF Abby Stretch Chico State SO Pleasant Hill
MF Alise Malley UC San Diego SR Carlsbad
AL Cherie Early (F) Cal State Stanislaus JR Manteca
AL Khyra Buchanan (MF) Sonoma State SR Santa Clara
AL Jessica Hewins (MF) Humboldt State SR Sacramento
AL Emily Thompson (F) Sonoma State SR Anchorage, Alaska
AL Kathy Sepulveda (F) UC San Diego JR Brea
AL Reyna Coca (GK) Cal State L.A. JR Albuquerque, N.M.
AL Melissa Phillips (MF) Cal State Stanislaus SO Roseville
AL Amanda Esquivel (D) UC San Diego SO San Diego
Honorable Mention: Christine Duff, Cal State L.A. (SO, D, Elk Grove); Krista Rojas, Cal State Dominguez Hills (JR, MF, Fontana); Mackenzie Doty, Chico State (FR, F, McMinnville, Ore.); Tracy Webster, Sonoma State (FR, F, Sebastopol); Domi Roberts, Cal State Stanislaus (SR, D, Torrance); Caitlin Ryan, UC San Diego (JR, D, Chula Vista); Natalie Macias, San Francisco State (SR, MF, Laguna Niguel); Karly Huerta, Cal State L.A. (JR, D, Folsom); Kristi Ibello, Cal Poly Pomona (SR, D, Santa Rosa); Stephanie Mrazik, Cal Poly Pomona (JR, D, Brea); Monique Castro, Cal State Dominguez Hills (Jr, MF, San Diego); Mariam Ghaderi, Cal State San Bernardino (FR, F, Upland); Carissa Amiral, Sonoma State (SO, GK, Santa Rosa); Premila Carleson, Chico State (JR, MF, Roseville); Kelsey Gomula, Humboldt State (SO, D, San Diego).
