McDonald Captures CCAA Player of Year Honor for Second Time in Three Years
McDonald’s top honor leads contingent of five Toros to earn All-CCAA selections, including 1st-team selection in junior Corrie Hirokawa
October 26, 2006

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Carson, CA -- For the second time in her collegiate career, senior Rachele McDonald (Ventura, CA/Buena HS) 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. McDonald heads a list of five Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s soccer players selected to the 2006 All-CCAA squads in 1st-team selection Corrie Hirokawa (Torrance, CA/North Torrance HS), 2nd-team honoree Sandy Lloyd (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) and 3rd-team recipients Monique Castro (San Diego, CA/Mira Mesa HS) and Krista Rojas (Fontana, CA/Cypress College).

McDonald, who claimed her first CCAA MVP as a sophomore in 2004, led the Toros to an 11-8-1 overall and 10-5-1 CCAA record, missing out on the 4th and final spot in the CCAA Tournament by virtue of a tie-breaker. The crafty forward led the CCAA in points with 34, tied for 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.

Closing her career in a 2-1 overtime win at San Francisco State on October 22, the Ventura native sits 5th in CSUDH’s record book for career points (90), tied for 5th in career goals (33) and tied for 6th with former All-America Heather Rolland in career assists (24). McDonald also is tied for 2nd in assists (12 in 2005), tied for 9th in points and tied for 10th in goals, all in a single season.

Junior Hirokawa received her first 1st-team All-CCAA selection after earning consecutive 2nd-team All-CCAA awards in her freshman and sophomore years. The Torrance native led the CCAA in game-winning goals, was in the conference’s top 5 in assists (3rd) and points (T3rd), and finished tied for 8th in goals scored while notching two multi-goal games and two multi-assist contests in 2006.

Lloyd claimed her second 2nd-team All-CCAA nod, and third All-CCAA selection overall in her three years in Cardinal and Gold, anchoring a defense that posted 6 shutouts and allowed just one goal in 7 contests this season. Lloyd also notched her lone assist of 2006 on October 1, in a 2-1 win over CCAA Tournament qualifier Sonoma State.

Castro received her first All-CCAA mention after starting 16 games and tallying the golden goal in the regular season finale at San Francisco State, while Rojas earned her first CCAA accolade after notching one assist in her first year in a Toro uniform.

Next season, the Toros return 18 letter-winners, eight starters as well as their starting keeper, and look to send their 12 seniors back to the CCAA and NCAA postseason tournaments.