O'Brian White Named Finalist For
Men's Soccer MAC Hermann Trophy
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (December 14, 2007) - University of Connecticut junior
forward O'Brian White
(Scarborough, Ontario) has been named a finalist for the 2007 Missouri Athletic
Club (M.A.C.) Hermann Trophy, the most prestigious individual award in
intercollegiate soccer. The trophy is presented annually to the top male and
female Division I soccer player in the United States. The award is the official
National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Player of the Year award
for Division I competition.
White is joined by Notre Dame's Joseph Lapira, the
2006 Hermann Trophy winner, and Patrick Nyarko of Virginia Tech.
The announcement will be carried live on ESPNews at
7 p.m. (ET) Friday, Jan. 11 from the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
White, who just hours ago announced his
plans to forgo professional soccer for another
year, leads all NCAA Division I men's scorers in
points with 53 and goals with 23, including six in postseason play. He also
notched seven assists on the season. White was selected as the BIG EAST
Offensive Player of the Year and was also a unanimous choice on the
all-conference first team after earning conference Player of the Week honors
five times this season.
He had seven multi-goal efforts this season,
including three hat tricks. White became the first player in UConn history to
tally back-to-back hat tricks, as well as three in a career. He now holds the
UConn record for goals in a season, bypassing the mark set by Joe Morrone, Jr.
in 1979. White is eighth all-time at UConn with 101 career points (40g, 21a).
Two former Huskies earned MAC Player of the Year honors during their playing careers
at UConn. Morrone was the 1980 recipient after guiding his team to the NCAA
Quarterfinals, while Chris Gbandi took home the trophy in 2000 following UConn's
second NCAA national championship.
The winners are determined by voting among NSCAA Division I member coaches and
will be announced at a banquet in St. Louis, Mo., hosted by the Missouri
Athletic Club this on Jan 11, where they will be presented with the prestigious
crystal soccer ball which has come to symbolize the highest individual
achievement in intercollegiate soccer.
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