TAMPA – The Premier Development League was well represented Tuesday when the National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced their Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List. Out of the 38 nominees, 19 players participated in the 2009 Premier Development League season.
The annual award is considered the top individual honor in collegiate soccer and has been given to such players as Alexi Lalas (1991), Brad Friedel (1992), Claudio Reyna (1993) and Alecko Eskandarian (2002)
Runners-up in 2009, the Chicago Fire placed the most on the list with six, including Goalkeeper of the Year Jimmy Maurer (South Carolina) and striker Andre Akpan (Harvard).
The Cary Clarets, national semifinalists this season, placed three players on the list including midfielder Conor O'Brien (Bucknell) and defender Ike Opara (Wake Forest).
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. 8, 2010, where the winner will be announced, with a presentation banquet following. Players are selected through votes by Division 1 coaches who are current members of the NSCAA.
