The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) announced today the 39 men's soccer players named to the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List for the 2010 season. Sophomore Will Bates and Junior Greg Monaco were each named to the Watch List of this prestigious award. The defending NCAA Champion Virginia is one of five schools that placed two players on the list, while Akron and Tulsa each placed three.
The MAC Hermann Trophy is the highest individual award in intercollegiate soccer. The recipients are selected by NCAA Division I coaches who are members of the NSCAA.
Defender and co-captain Monaco was the only Cavalier to have started in all 25 games last season. He received First Team All-South honors and anchored a defense that posted 17 shutouts last season. He contributed one goal (against Washington) and one game winning assist (against VCU).
Forward Will Bates was Virginia's leading scorer from last season, contributing 12 goals and one assist. He was named the Soccer America National Freshman of the Year, was a member of the NSCAA Second Team All-South Atlantic Region, the ACC's All-Freshman team, and the ACC All-Tournament team. He had a team-high five game-winnign goals, including a game winner against NC State in the ACC Championship match. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Bates notched a hat trick against Bucknell.
Voting for the MAC Hermann Trophy is conducted in late November, when a field of 15 semifinalists is reduced to three finalists. Those three will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, where a news conference will be held to announce the winner, followed by a banquet to honor the three finalists.