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Three Ivies on Men's Preseason Hermann Watch List
Created: 8/21/2008 10:50:07 AM
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Portions Courtesy of NSCAA.com
Returning recipient O'Brian White of the University of Connecticut headlines 48 of the best men's Division I intercollegiate soccer players that comprise the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List for 2008.
White, a senior forward, elected to stay at UConn instead of turning professional and now has the opportunity to become the first men's player to repeat as a Hermann Trophy winner since Virginia's Mike Fisher received the award in 1995 and 1996. Only three players have earned the Hermann in consecutive seasons: Fisher and Saint Louis University products Mike Seerey (1971-72) and Al Trost (1969-70).
Three Ivy League athletes will look to end White's repeat bid this Fall. Brown's senior defender Rhett Bernstein (San Diego, CA), a two-time First Team All-Ivy selection, makes the preseason list for a second consecutive year. Bernstein played an integral role in Brown's defensive trifecta last year, helping guide the Bears to a 15-2-1 overall record, and an unblemished 7-0-0 Ivy League mark for its 19th Ancient Eight title. He was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week (Sept. 9), and Soccer America's Men's Team of the Week (9/13), while also being named the adidas-Brown Soccer Classic's Defensive MVP.
Harvard will also have players in the fold. The Crimson are one of only seven schools the nation to have multiple players included on the list. Junior Andre Akpan (Grand Prairie, Texas), a forward, was named as a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy last season and was the only underclassman and Ivy League player among the semifinalists. He finished his 2007 regular season as a unanimous All-Ivy League first team member for the second year in a row. Akpan's 13 goals and nine assists totaled 35 points, spearheaded by a 10-game goal-scoring streak. Akpan's feats led the Ancient Eight in all three offensive categories. In a banner year for individual accolades, Akpan was named to the NSCAA and College Soccer News All-America teams as a second team selection and the NSCAA All-Northeast Region first team. Akpan was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2005.
Harvard's Michael Fucito (Westford, Mass.) was also named to the team. The senior element of the lethal Crimson strike force, Fucito was selected to the NSCAA All-America second team and finished his junior season with career highs in goals (11) and points (29), including three game-winning strikes. He finished the regular season ranked ninth in the nation in points per game (1.71) and 16th in goals per game (0.65). A two-time NSCAA All-Northeast Region first team honoree and All-Ivy League selection, the 2004 Ivy League Rookie of the Year also gets it done in the classroom. He was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District first team and Academic All-Ivy in 2007.
Considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer, the recipients of the MAC's Hermann Trophy are selected by Division I head coaches who are current members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. A list of 15 semifinalists is selected by a coaches committee in November, with three finalists announced in early December. They will invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo., for a news conference on Jan. 9, 2009, where the winner will be announced, with a presentation banquet following.
The complete list can be found at NSCAA.com.
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Related Schools: Brown, Harvard
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Related Sports: Soccer
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*This Article has been archived.*
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