The pool of candidates for men’s college soccer’s top honor got a whole lot smaller on Friday as strikers Billy Schuler (North Carolina), Andrew Wenger (Duke) and Ethan Finlay (Creighton) were announced as finalists for the 2011 MAC Hermann Trophy.
After sitting out most of 2010 with a shoulder injury, Schuler led UNC’s high-scoring offense with 15 goals and five assists. Tobacco Road-rival Wenger (pictured above) bested Schuler’s goal total, scoring 17 and adding eight assists, a year after starting as a center back for the Blue Devils. Finlay was the focal point of Creighton’s offense, scoring 14 goals and contributing six assists.
In addition to naming the finalists for the Hermann Trophy, the NSCAA also revealed its selections for the 2011 All-America Teams on Friday. Ten of the 35 selections are in Hoover, Ala., to compete for the College Cup.
First Team
GK Brian Holt (Creighton), D Chris Estridge (Indiana), D Matt Hedges (North Carolina), Charles Rodriguez (UNC Charlotte), M Miguel Ibarra (UC Irvine), M Enzo Martinez (North Carolina), M Luis Silva (UC Santa Barbara), F Ashton Bennett (Coastal Carolina), F Ethan Finlay (Creighton), F Billy Schuler (North Carolina), F Andrew Wenger (Duke)
Second Team
GK Brian Rowe (UCLA), D R.J. Allen (Monmouth), D Andrew Duran (Creighton), D Kyle Venter (New Mexico), M Carlos Alvarez (Connecticut), M Greg Jordan (Creighton), M Lance Rozeboom (New Mexico), M Paul Wyatt (James Madison), F Dom Dwyer (South Florida), F Evans Frimpong (Delaware), F Darren Mattocks (Akron), F Casey Townsend (Maryland)
Third Team
GK Andrew Blake (Connecticut), D Austin Berry (Louisville), D Eric Schoenle (West Virginia), D Walker Zimmerman (Furman), M Scott Caldwell (Akron), M Jonathan Mendoza (Stetson), M Pedro Ribeiro (Coastal Carolina), M John Stertzer (Maryland), F Chandler Hoffman (UCLA), F Mark Sherrod (Memphis), F Yannick Smith (Old Dominion), F Gyasi Zardes (CSU Bakersfield)
Travis Clark covers D.C. United, college and youth soccer for MLSsoccer.com.
