Dec. 9, 2005
MISSION, Kan. – The ACC Player of the Year, the Big Ten Player of the Year and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation co-Player of the Year comprise the three finalists for the men’s Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer. New Mexico’s Jeff Rowland, Maryland’s Jason Garey and Indiana’s Brian Plotkin and are the three finalists for the award.
The trio will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 6, for a news conference where the winner of the award will be revealed. The announcement will be carried live on ESPNews (5 p.m. MST). A banquet at the Club that evening will feature the formal presentation of the prestigious crystal soccer ball trophy to the winner.
The finalists were determined in voting of Division I men’s soccer coaches who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Rowland, a senior forward from Albuquerque, N.M., started every game for the Lobos. He led the Mountain Pacific Soccer Federation in scoring with 36 points on 16 goals and four assists. Rowland scored the game-winning goal in UNM’s 1-0 overtime victory over California in the NCAA quarterfinals to send the Lobos to the Men’s College Cup for the first time in school history.
Garey, a senior forward from Gonzales, La., is Maryland’s career leader in goals. This season, he led the Terrapins in goals and points. Garey was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and led Maryland to the Men’s College Cup. In 2004, he was a semifinalist for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy.
Plotkin, a senior midfielder from Lisle, Ill., scored eight goals and added 12 assists for the Hoosiers to lead the Big Ten in scoring. He led the Big Ten in game-winning goals (4) and was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week three times. Plotkin was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and was the only unanimous all-conference selection.
An exhibition featuring the current and the past recipients of the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy is on display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y. Some of the biggest names in soccer like Mia Hamm and Claudio Reyna have won the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. For a complete list of past winners, log on to www.mac-hermann-trophy.org.