GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – After a pair of individually outstanding seasons, Colorado Mesa women's soccer placed two players on the D2CCA All-South Central Region first team, including the program's first-ever Region Player of the Year award for Lila Dere.

In addition to taking top regional player of the year honors, Dere earned a berth on the first team for the second consecutive year. Joining her on the first team was Haley Klasner, who ranked in the top 10 in Division II with 11 assists.

The two selections are the eighth and ninth total All-Region nods in the history of the CMU women's soccer program and the fifth and sixth first-team selections. 2021 marks the second year that CMU recorded multiple first-team picks, joining Dere and Michaela Dangler last year. Lauren Sell in 2006 and Daniela Ramirez in 2009 are the other Mavericks to receive D2CCA regional first-team recognition.

Dere adds the Region Player of the Year title to a long list of accomplishments this season, including winning her second consecutive RMAC Player of the Year award and being named the RMAC Academic Player of the Year. The nation's leading scorer with 23 goals in 19 games, Dere also leads all of Division II in shots (6.16) and shots on goal (3.21) per game.  

Dere's 2022 season was the best in school history, with her 23 goals and 48 points topping Tiffany Thompson's previous single-season records of 21 goals and 47 points from 1998. Dere also broke her own single-season program record for shots that she set last season.

The monster season also put Dere on top of CMU's all-time lists as well. On October 2 against Regis, Dere became CMU's all-time goalscoring leader with her 36^th and 37^th career goals (her career total currently sits at 45). Then on October 21, she scored her 86^th career point to become the school's all-time points leader (she now has 96).

Klasner was named first-team All-Region despite only making second team All-RMAC. Regional voters recognized Klasner's playmaking prowess, as the redshirt sophomore from Broomfield, Colo. tied for 10th in the nation with 11 assists and was instrumental in setting up Dere during her record-breaking season. Klasner had a three-assist game against Colorado Christian on October 14 and scored twice to rank second on the team and top-10 in the RMAC with 15 points.

A total of 12 institutions had at least one student-athlete named to the 13-member first and second teams.  Dallas Baptist, the No. 1 team in the country, led the region with five selections. 

West Texas A&M had four selections while Colorado School of Mines and Angelo State each had three selections. Colorado Mesa, St. Mary's and MSU Denver rounded out the institutions with multiple selections, while Lubbock Christian, Regis, Midwestern State, UCCS and Westminster all finished with one selection.

The D2CCA Player of the Year award and all-region teams are nominated and selected by the region's sports information directors.

The D2CCA encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of high education.  The D2CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact NCAA Division II athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.

The 13 members of the All-South Central Region first team will now be placed on the national ballot for All-America consideration. The All-America teams will be released Wednesday, Nov. 30^th.