2001 Hermann Candidates Announced

Aug. 16, 2001

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Hermann Foundation and TEAMtalk, Inc., have announced the 13 men and 13 women candidates for the 2001 Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s oldest and most prestigious player of the year award.

The men’s candidates are: the University of Connecticut’s Chris Gbandi, Indiana’s Pat Noonan, SMU’s Mohamed Fahim and Carl Bussey, Virginia’s Kyle Martino and Alecko Eskandarian, Penn State’s Ricardo Villar, Saint Louis’ Brad Davis, Clemson’s Oguchi Onyewu, Stanford’s Lee Morrison, Bradley’s Gavin Glinton, Furman’s John Barry Nusum, and UCLA’s Alex Yi.

The women’s candidates are: Santa Clara’s Danielle Slaton and Aly Wagner, Penn State’s Christie Welsh, Florida’s Abby Wambach, BYU’s Aleisha Cramer, UCLA’s Mary-Frances Monroe and Stephanie Rigamat, Portland’s Lauren Orlandos, North Carolina’s Danielle Borgman and Jena Kluegel, Washington’s Hope Solo and Texas A&M’s Nicky Thrasher.

The candidates were chosen by a ballot of Division I college coaches and selected media. In a twist added to the selection process this year, two spots on the final ballot will remain open until Oct. 1. At that time, a poll of coaches and media will be conducted to add the final two names to each of the 15-player ballots before the final voting is conducted. This is to ensure that any player having a stellar season will be eligible to win the prestigious player of the year award.

Final ballots will be distributed to all Division I college coaches, tabulated, and three men and three women finalists will be announced on Dec. 1. The winners of the 2001 Hermann Trophy will be announced at the College Cups, the women on Dec. 8 in Dallas, Texas, and the men on Dec. 15 in Columbus, Ohio.

For continuing coverage of the Hermann Trophy races, go to www.collegesoccer.com, the presenting sponsor of the award.

The Hermann Trophy, soccer’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, has been given annually since 1967 to the nation’s best male college soccer player. The women’s award has been presented each year since 1988. The Hermann Trophy is named for Robert R. Hermann, the former Chairman of the Executive Committee of the old North American Soccer League and one of that ground-breaking league’s founders.

Collegesoccer.com will be the presenting sponsor of the Hermann Trophy for the next three years. TEAMtalk Media Group plc, the parent company of collegesoccer.com, is a world leader in custom content and professional services. Among the customers U.S.-based TEAMtalk, Inc. currently serves are The West Coast Conference, the Women’s United Soccer Association, the Atlanta Beat, Washington Freedom, New York Power, Bay Area CyberRays, Amoco Racing, M&Ms Racing, and US Youth Soccer.

MEN HERMANN AWARD CANDIDATES BIOS

Oguchi Onyewu, So., Clemson: The tall, speedy defender is equally adept at defending his own goal and starting up the attack. He was fifth on the team with 15 points as he was named to the ACC-First Team and the collegesoccer.com Second Team All-American in 2000. Onyewu is dangerous on set pieces in the box and his long throw-ins. Onyewu started 14 of 15 games for the U.S. Under-20 team including all four games at the World Youth Championship this summer.

Carl Bussey, Sr., Southern Methodist University: Bussey is one of the best man-marking midfielders in the country and was named to collegesoccer.com’s Preseason All-American first team. He registered nine goals and three assists in 2000 leading SMU to the Final Four. Bussey is a fast and intense player who leads by example and voice. He was a finalist for the 2000 Hermann Trophy. The Plano, Texas, native has fought through injuries in his career to start 63 of 64 games for the Mustangs.

Brad Davis, So.,Saint Louis University: Davis was second on Saint Louis University in scoring with 11 goals and six assists in his freshman year and was the Conference USA Freshman of the Year in. He was selected as the Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year after leading the U.S. Under-20 team to the second round of the World Youth Championship. He scored three goals in 12 games with the Under-20 team in 2001.

Alecko Eskandarian, So., University of Virginia: Eskandarian burst onto the scene with 16 goals and six assists in his freshman year to earn ACC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-ACC honors. He set the Virginia freshman scoring record and had four game-winning goals, as well as a team-high three game-winning assists. The former Gatorade High School Player of the Year was an integral part of the U.S. Under-20 team at the World Youth Championship this summer.

Mohamed Fahim, Sr., Southern Methodist University: The lightning quick forward scored 25 goals to lead the Mustangs to the national semifinals for the first time in school history. The Cairo, Egypt, native is third all-time in SMU history with 111 points and 47 goals. He was fifth in the nation in points per game with 2.28 en route to a collegesoccer.com First Team All-America selection in 2000. Fahim collected four hat tricks last season, including one against Kentucky in the second round of the Men’s College Cup.

Chris Gbandi, Sr., University of Connecticut: Gbandi will attempt to be the fifth player to win two Hermann Trophies. The 2000 Hermann Trophy winner was also the 2000 collegesoccer.com Player of the Year. The Houston native guided the Huskies to the national title last year, including scoring the game-winning goal in the final. He was the 2000 Big East Defensive Player of the Year, for the second consecutive season, and was selected to the 2000 All-Big East First Team for the third straight year. Gbandi has scored 14 goals and 11 assists in 69 games.

Gavin Glinton, Sr., Bradley: Forward Gavin Glinton will be a fifth-year senior this fall and already holds the Bradley career records for goals and points. He also holds 10 single-game, single-season, and career school records. The only player in school history to receive All-America honors three consecutive years. Glinton is fourth among the nation’s active scoring leaders and has recorded 43 career goals.

Kyle Martino, Jr., Virginia: A 2000 finalist for the Hermann Trophy, Martino is the engine of the Virginia midfield. Martino was named First Team All-ACC and to the ACC All-Tournament. Martino tallied 14 points on four goals and a team-high six assists. The Westport, Conn., native has started all 45 games in his career, and was a key member of the U.S. Under-20 team that advanced to the second round of the World Youth Championship. He scored five goals and four assists in 18 games with the national team in 2001.

Lee Morrison, Sr., Stanford: Morrison, a defender, returns for his senior season at Stanford in 2001. The second-team All-American anchored a defense last year that posted a school-record 16 shutouts and recorded a nation-low 0.44 goals-against average. Morrison scored three goals and was named to the All-Pac 10 first team. He was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy last year.

Pat Noonan, Jr., Indiana: Forward Pat Noonan returns for his junior season with the Hoosiers in 2001. Leading the team in scoring and in shots last season, Noonan led the team to the Men’s College Cup. Noonan was also an All-Region selection and earned second team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten honors. He has scored 18 goals so far in his career.

John Barry Nusum, Sr., Furman: A forward, Nusum begins his senior season at Furman this fall as the all-time points leader in the program’s history. He ranks second in career goals and third in career assists. Last year, he set Furman’s single-season points record with 48 and placed in the top 20 of every NCAA offensive statistical category. The two-time All-American, who has scored 45 career goals, was named the Southern Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player, and he also earned first team All-South and All-Southern Conference honors. This summer, Nusum competed with the Bermuda national team in Olympic and World Cup qualifying events.

Ricardo Villar, Sr., Penn State: After red-shirting last year, Penn State midfielder Ricardo Villar returns as a fifth-year senior. In 1999, Villar led the Nittany Lions in goals, assists, and points, and was second in scoring in the Big Ten. He earned Penn State’s first All-America honors since 1982. Villar has 17 career goals to date.

Alex Yi, So., UCLA: The 2000 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, defender Alex Yi returns for his sophomore campaign with the UCLA Bruins. He also earned second-team all-conference honors. Yi, a member of the U.S. under-20 national team, competed in the 2001 World Youth Championships this summer.

WOMEN HERMANN AWARD CANDIDATES BIOS

Danielle Borgman, Sr., University of North Carolina: UNC defender Danielle Borgman returns for her senior season with the Tar Heels. Borgman helped North Carolina claim its 16th NCAA title. She garnered All-Atlantic Coast Conference and NSCAA All-America and All-Southeastern Region accolades as well as earning two caps with the U.S. women’s national team. Borgman’s career goals total five.

Aleisha Cramer, So., BYU: Center midfielder Aleisha Cramer will begin her sophomore campaign at Brigham Young this fall. The 2000 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, Cramer tallied seven goals for the Cougars and was named to the All-America, the All-MWC, and the All-West Region first teams. In March of 2001, Cramer captained the U.S. women’s national team in the Algarve Cup in Portugal.

Jena Kluegel, Sr., University of North Carolina: A Tar Heel outside midfielder, Kluegel led the Atlantic Coast Conference and was second in the nation with 23 assists last year. Kluegel also earned All-ACC and NSCAA All-America and All Southeastern Region honors and was part of a UNC team that earned its 16th NCAA title. Kluegel, who has 17 career goals, competed with the U.S. women’s national team in a two-game series in China in January, in the Algarve Cup in March, and in a recent Independence Day home-and-home series with Canada.

Christine Latham, Jr., Nebraska: Forward Christine Latham returns to Nebraska as the defending Big 12 Player of the Year. In 2000, Latham produced the second-best single-season offensive output (57 points) in Huskers’ history as a sophomore en route to becoming the first underclassman to win the conference’s player- of-the-year honor. The Canadian national team striker also earned All-America and All-Big 12 honors, was the Most Valuable Player of the Big 12 Tournament. In her two years at Nebraska, she has scored 35 goals.

Mary-Frances Monroe, Sr., UCLA: A midfielder, Monroe will play her senior year at UCLA after spending three years at the University of Connecticut. As a Husky, Monroe recorded 45 goals and last season was named to the All-Big East first team and was tabbed an All-American for the third straight time. Monroe was also a finalist for the 2000 Hermann Trophy. In March, she was a member of the U.S. women’s national team that competed in the Algarve Cup.

Lauren Orlandos, Jr., Portland: Orlandos will be a junior for the Portland Pilots this fall. In 2000, she was the West Coast Conference’s Defender of the Year, and was a collegesoccer.com All-American, as well as all-Far West, and all-WCC honors. She was also named to the NCAA all-tournament team. She has scored a total of four goals for the Pilots.

Stephanie Rigamat, Sr., UCLA: A creative forward, Rigamat will be a senior this fall, but will only be playing her second season with the UCLA Bruins. She redshirted the 1999 season after transferring from UC-Irvine. Last year, Rigamat led the Bruins in scoring and finished the season ranked third in the Pac-10. She also broke the UCLA single-season assists record with 11. She has scored 35 goals in her college career, and played with the U.S. women’s national team in a two-game series in China in January as well as the Algarve Cup in Portugal in March.

Danielle Slaton, Sr., Santa Clara: A two-time All-American defender, Slaton returns for her senior year at Santa Clara as a co-captain for the Broncos. Slaton, who has scored five career goals for SCU, missed nine matches in 2000 while with the U.S. Olympic team in Australia. She played on five tournament-winning teams with the U.S. women’s national team, including the Australia Cup, the Algarve Cup, the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup, the Pacific Cup, and the DFB Jubilee Tournament in Germany. This is her second nomination for the Hermann Trophy.

Hope Solo, Jr., Washington: Goalkeeper Hope Solo took the 2000 spring quarter off to train with the U.S. women’s national team and returns this fall as a junior for the Huskies. Last year, she was named to the All-Pac 10 second team. In March of 2001, she joined the U.S. national team in the Algarve Cup, and in July helped the U-21s claim their third consecutive Nordic Cup title.

Nicky Thrasher, Sr., Texas A&M: Midfielder Nicky Thrasher red-shirted last year with a knee injury and returns in 2001 as a fifth-year senior. As a junior, Thrasher was the leader in goals, assists, and points, and was named the Aggies Offensive Player of the Year. She also earned NSCAA All-Central Region and All-Big 12 honors. Over the course of her career she has scored 37 goals. This is her second Hermann Trophy nomination.

Aly Wagner, Jr., Santa Clara: Center midfielder Aly Wagner returns as a red-shirt junior for Santa Clara in 2001. Despite missing eight matches due to injury in 2000, Wagner earned NSCAA/adidas West Region second team honors and was also a collegesoccer.com second-team All-American. She was also a finalist for the 2000 Hermann Trophy. She has tallied 13 goals for the Broncos. Wagner was an alternate for the 2000 U.S. Olympic squad and was also one of the last players cut from the 1999 U.S. Women’s World Cup team.

Abby Wambach, Sr., Florida: A powerful forward, Wambach led the Gators in goals (23) and was awarded All-America and All-SEC accolades for the third consecutive year. She was also the SEC Player of the Year and the SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player. Wambach has 65 career goals to date. In July, she was the third-leading scorer in the Nordic Cup and helped the U-21 national team win its third consecutive title.

Christie Welsh, Jr., Penn State: Though just a junior in 2001, forward Christie Welsh is the most decorated player in the Penn State soccer program’s six-year history. A two-time NSCAA All-American and Big-10 Player of the Year, Welsh again led the Nittany Lions in scoring last year and has rewritten 13 scoring records in her two seasons Penn State. In her two-year career, Welsh has amassed 44 goals and was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy and the Honda Award. She was named Penn State’s Athlete of the Year. Welsh competed with the U.S. national team in the Algarve Cup in March.