Six finalists named for MAC Hermann Trophy
Three men and three women have been selected as the Missouri Athletic Club’s (MAC) Hermann Trophy finalists.
Men’s finalists are Notre Dame senior forward Ryan Finley (Lumberton, N.J.), Creighton senior midfielder Jose Gomez (Santa Ana, Calif.) and Maryland junior forward Patrick Mullins (New Orleans).
Women’s finalists are North Carolina junior midfielder Crystal Dunn (Rockville Centre, N.Y.), Virginia senior forward Caroline Miller (Rockville, Md.) and Penn State senior midfielder Christine Nairn (Arnold, Md.).
The MAC Hermann Trophy is the highest individual award in intercollegiate soccer. A banquet will be hosted at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 11, to recognize the finalists’ accomplishments and announce the winners.
NCAA Division I coaches who are NSCAA members voted for their top three choices. Additionally, a new fan voting component was added to this year’s voting process, hosted by LockerDome, through which nearly 130,000 total fan votes were cast. Mullins was a unanimous top three choice, but the fans chose Georgetown’s Steve Neuman and New Mexico’s Devon Sandoval as their other top choices.
On the women’s side, Miller was a top choice between the fans and coaches, however the fans chose Duke’s Natasha Anasi and Georgetown’s Daphne Corboz as top three.
Men’s Finalists
Ryan Finley, Notre Dame
Senior Forward
Lumberton, N.J.
Helped lead the Fighting Irish to the third round of the NCAA Tournament … Played in all 22 matches and ranks second nationally in goals scored (21) and points (46) … Ranks third nationally in goals per game (0.95) and fourth in points per game (2.09) … Had six game-winning goals, including two golden goals … Scored the golden goal in the title game of the BIG EAST Championship, a 3-2 double-overtime win over Georgetown … Led the BIG EAST with 12 goals in league play and was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year … Had six multiple-goal games, including one hat trick.
Jose Gomez, Creighton
Senior Midfielder
Santa Ana, Calif.
Named 2012 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, 2012 First Team All-MVC and 2012 MVC Tournament MVP after scoring two goals at conference tourney … Started all 23 matches for the No. 8 Bluejays this season … Ranks No. 20 nationally and leads MVC with nine assists this season … Earned the assist on all three CU goals at Princeton (10/9), the first Bluejay to accomplish the feat since Nov. 8, 2008 … Posted at least one shot attempt in each match this season and recorded a shot on goal in 16 contests … Claimed MVC Offensive Player of the Week twice (10/22, 9/4).
Patrick Mullins, Maryland
Junior Forward
New Orleans
He and the Terps are heading to Hoover, Ala. for the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Semifinals … Honors he’s earned this season include ACC Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-ACC … Appeared in all 23 games and has started in 22 this season … Leads the team and the ACC with 40 points on a league and team-high 16 goals and a career-best eight assist … Has tallied seven game-winners … Scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over Virginia Tech (11/6) in the ACC quarterfinals … Secured Maryland’s birth in the College Cup with a goal in a 3-1 win over Louisville (12/1) in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Women’s finalists
Crystal Dunn, North Carolina
Junior Midfielder
Rockville Centre, N.Y.
Dunn is a member of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship team … Started in all 17 games in which she appeared, garnering 15 points on five goals and five assists … Also awarded 2012 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, an award she also won as a freshman in 2010 … Only two-time winner of the award in league history … First-Team All-ACC selection for third straight year … Named NSCAA/Continental Tire First Team All-American … Gold medalist for 2012 U.S. U-20 Team at World Cup, where she played every minute on defense in all six games … Assisted on US game-winning goal in final versus Germany … Returned to UNC and started at center back the last 11 games of the regular season … Moved to attacking center midfielder for NCAA Tournament and scored five goals in four games, including both goals in 2-1 NCAA quarterfinal win over BYU.
Caroline Miller, Virginia
Senior Forward
Rockville, Md.
Started all 24 games … Set single-season school records of 20 goals and 47 points … Led the ACC in goals and points … Named ACC Offensive Player of the Year … One of four 20-goal scorers nationally this season … Ended the year on a school-record eight-game goal scoring streak, all against opponents that made the NCAA Tournament … First Team All-ACC for second consecutive season … Twice was ACC Player of the Week and was the NSCAA National Player of the Week on Sept. 19 … Also named NSCAA/Continental Tire First Team All-America.
Christine Nairn, Penn State
Senior Midfielder
Arnold, Md.
Nairn has played a big part of Penn State’s 2012 success, as she is one of two players in the College Cup that has posted double-digit figures in goals and assists … She finished the season with a staggering 46 poings on 17 goals and 12 assists … Aided the Nittany Lions to a National Runner-Up position … Earned NSCAA/Continental Tire First Team All-America honors … Scored PSU’s goal in the national championship game and was named to the All-Tournament team … Nairn was named Big Ten Midfielder of the year and earned All-Big Ten First Team honors for her fourth year … She is a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team (2009-present) and the U.S. Women’s U-23 National Team (2010-present).
