Carson, CA - Cal State Dominguez Hills forward Rachele McDonald (Ventura, CA/Buena HS) has been named the first-ever Daktronics Women's Soccer Far West Region Player of the Year, as voted upon by sports information directors from the California Collegiate Athletic Association, Great Northwest Athletic Conference and Pacific West Conference.

McDonald received seven of 17 1st-place votes as part of her 39 total points, and was followed in the regional player of the year voting by UC San Diego's Kelly Cochran (22 points), UCSD's Megan Dickey (21 points), and Seattle University's Ashley Porter (20 points), giving the CCAA the top three vote-getters in the program's first year of existence.

The Ventura native, who last month claimed her second CCAA MVP honor in three years, helped the Toros to an 11-8-1 overall and 10-5-1 CCAA record in 2006. The crafty forward led the CCAA in points with 34, tied for the league lead in assists with eight, and placed second with 13 goals, becoming just the second player to win the league's top award twice after Cal Poly Pomona's Ruth Van't Land first accomplished the feat in 1998 and 2000.

Junior Sandy Lloyd (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley HS), a three-time All-CCAA selection, was named to the 2nd-team, one week after earning 1st-team honors on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District squad.

CCAA Champion UC San Diego, which fell in the last weekend's NCAA quarterfinals, placed three members on the 2006 Daktronics Far West Region's 1st-team in forward Kathy Sepulveda and midfielders Cochran and Dickey.

Seattle University, which fell in the NCAA's 1st round to Seattle Pacific, boasted two 1st-team selections in midfielder Porter and defender Ana Gutierrez, as did SPU in forward Sarah Martinez and defender Carolyn Nason.

Chico State defender Jennifer Hogans, Western Washington defender Megan Woodman and Humboldt State keeper Staci Self rounded out the 11-person 2006 Daktronics Far West 1st-team, with WWU's Woodman being the only freshman to garner 1st-team honors.

Players selected to the 1st-team will be listed on the Daktronics All-American ballot. The All-American team will be announced on November 27th. The complete list of Far West region teams follows:

Daktronics Far West 1st team

• F - Sarah Martinez, Seattle Pacific University, Jr.
• F - Rachele McDonald, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Sr. (Region MVP)
• F - Kathy Sepulveda, UC San Diego, Jr.
• MF - Kelly Cochran, UC San Diego, Sr.
• MF - Megan Dickey, UC San Diego, Sr.
• MF - Ashley Porter, Seattle University, Jr.
• D - Ana Gutierrez, Seattle University, Sr.
• D - Jennifer Hogans, Chico State, Sr.
• D - Carolyn Nason, Seattle Pacific, Sr.
• D - Megan Woodman, Western Washington, Fr.
• GK - Staci Self, Humboldt State, Sr.

Daktronics Far West 2nd-team

• F - Mary Carroll, Cal Poly Pomona, Fr.
• F - Ali Lai, UC San Diego, Jr.
• F - Leah Wymer, Seattle University, Jr.
• MF - Kim Halloran, Humboldt State, Sr.
• MF - Kara Hamby, Seattle Pacific, Jr.
• MF - Katie Weber, Western Washington, Sr.
• D - Sandy Lloyd, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Jr.
• D - Sarah Norton, Brigham Young University-Hawaii, Jr.
• GK - Kari Gonzales, Chico State, Jr.