Three Local Finalists for Men's Hermann Trophy

White Attempting to Win Award for Second Straight Season

Novemeber 30, 2008

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Three local players – including last season’s winner, UConn’s O’Brian White – were named among the 15 semifinalists for the 2008 men’s soccer MAC Hermann Trophy award, given annually to the nation’s top college soccer player.

Harvard forward Andre Akpan, Boston College midfielder Alejandro Bedoya and UConn’s White all made the final 15 after being named to the 48-person watch list at the beginning of the season.

Last year's winner, UConn's O'Brian White, will attempt to win his second MAC Hermann Trophy. (UConn Athletics)

Akpan, a junior, completed the regular season as the Ivy League's leading scorer with 24 points, as he earned unanimous first-team All-Ivy honors for the third straight fall. He was also second in goals with nine and tied for second in the Ancient Eight with six helpers.

Akpan, who was also a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy in 2007, established Harvard's all-time career scoring (97 points) and assists (27) records this season and finished the year with 10 goals and 26 points. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, he lifted Harvard to a 1-0 double-overtime victory at Massachusetts, scoring the game winner at 102:33. ,

In the final weeks of the season, he recorded points in eight of the final 11 contests, with Harvard winning all eight games he scored in.

Bedoya registered 17 points – six goals and five assists – in 16 games this fall. The two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team honoree was the 2007 ACC Offensive Player of the Year and a consensus 2007 first-team All-America choice.

The announcement marks the second time in as many seasons that Bedoya has been named a semifinalist for the award and the third straight season a BC soccer player is up for college soccer’s top individual honor. Charlie Davies finished as the runner-up for the award in 2006 voting.

Making a return to the semifinalists list is White. The winner of the award last year, he is attempting to become the first men's repeat winner since Virginia's Mike Fisher claimed the award in 1995 and 1996. Only two other men have won the award in consecutive years, both from Saint Louis University: Al Trost (1971 and 1972) and Mike Sweeney (1973 and 1974).

White, the 2008 Big East Offensive Player of the Year, led UConn in goals (six) and points (14) this season.

Division I college head coaches who are current members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) will vote to determine the 2008 MAC Hermann Trophy recipient. Three finalists for the award will be announced on Friday, Dec. 12. They will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis for a news conference on Jan. 9, 2009, where the winner will be announced.

For the full list of semifinalists, please click here.