UD'S Frimpong, ODU'S Smith Chosen As Hermann Trophy Semifinalists
Delaware senior forward
Evans Frimpong and Old Dominion junior forward
Yannick Smith have been selected as semifinalists for the 2011 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, which is presented to the nation's top collegiate men's soccer player. The duo is among only 15 players still in the runner for the prestigious honor.
Frimpong earned CAA men's soccer Player of the Year accolades after leading the Blue Hens with 29 points on 12 goals and five assists. He was the first Delaware player to receive the CAA's top award. Frimpong helped lead Delaware to its first CAA championship and its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1970. The Blue Hens upset perennial power Virginia, 1-0, in the first round before falling 1-0 at UCLA in the second round.
Smith made the All-CAA first team after leading the conference with 16 goals and 34 points this season. He helped the Monarchs advance to the CAA championship game and earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. ODU advanced past Liberty on penalty kicks in the first round of the NCAA's before losing 3-0 at Indiana in the second round.
Head coaches of NCAA Division I programs with current membership in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) will vote to determine the 2011 MAC Hermann Trophy recipient. Three finalists for the award will be announced on Friday, Dec. 9. They will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis for a news conference on Friday, Jan. 6, 2012, where the winner will be announced.