Joseph Lapira (Notre Dame/Lake Charles, La.), the 2006 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy recipient, is among the 15 semifinalists for the 2007 award. The list was announced by the Missouri Athletic Club and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Considered to be college soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy, the winner is selected by NCAA Division I coaches who are current NSCAA members.

A senior forward, Lapira has demonstrated a penchant for shining in big games this season, posting a goal and an assist against UCLA and two goals against Connecticut when each school held the No. 1 ranking.

Several other players in addition to Lapira are making repeat appearances on the semifinalist list: Bruno Guarda (SMU/Piracicaba, Brazil), Julius James (Connecticut/Maloney Gardens, Trinidad), Stephen King (Maryland, Medford, N.J.), Yannick Reyering (Virginia/Mettingen, Germany) and Michael Videira (Duke/Milford, Mass.). Only two schools had multiple representation on the list: Duke with Videira and Mike Grella (Glen Cove, N.Y.) and Connecticut with James and O’Brian White (Scarborough, Ont.).

Three men’s and three women’s finalists will be announced on Friday, Dec. 14, in conjunction with the semifinal rounds of the 2007 NCAA Men’s College Cup. The winners will be announced at a banquet at the MAC in St. Louis, Mo., on Friday, Jan. 11, where they will be presented the prestigious crystal soccer ball that has come to symbolize the highest level of individual achievement in intercollegiate soccer.

An exhibition featuring the current and past winners of the MAC Hermann Trophy is on display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y.

2007 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Men’s Semifinalists

Andre Akpan, F, So., Harvard, Grand Prairie, Texas
One of three unanimous All-Ivy League first-team selections…second in the nation in scoring with 2.06 points per game…led the conference with 13 goals and nine assists (35 points)…became one of only nine Division I players to post a 10-game goal-scoring streak... selected to the U-20 U.S. National Team for 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup…started and scored a hat trick in his first international appearance…NSCAA/adidas All-Region as a freshman after leading his class in scoring with 32 points (10 goals, 12 assists).

Alejandro Bedoya, M, Jr., Boston College, Weston, Fla.
The ACC Offensive player of the Year…three-time ACC Player of the Week in 2007…has 24 points on seven goals and 10 assists…tallied two goals at No. 4 Duke in a 4-2 BC victory…four game-winning goals, including three in conference play…had the game-winner in a 1-0 win over No. 1 Wake Forest…in his first season at BC after playing two years at Fairleigh Dickinson…two-time All-Northeast Conference first team selection while at FDU.

Mike Grella, F, Jr., Duke, Glen Cove, N.Y.
Two-time first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection…led the Blue Devils with 10 goals this season…added six assists for 26 points…was tops in the ACC with six game-winning goals…NSCAA/adidas All-Region choice last season, when he started all 23 games and led the team with 13 goals and 32 points.

Bruno Guarda, M, Jr., SMU, Piracicaba, Brazil
Second selection as an MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist…repeated as Conference USA Player of the Year in 2007…led the conference in scoring with 21 points (seven goals, seven assists) and four game-winning goals…named the NSCAA National Player of the Week after scoring game-winners against South Carolina and Memphis…twice selected to the All-Conference USA first team...third-team NSCAA/adidas All-America in 2006.

Andy Iro, D, Sr., UC Santa Barbara, Liverpool, England
Led a UCSB defense that has allowed only 19 goals in as many matches, with five shutouts along the way…while taking a career-low four shots, his lone goal this season was key, the game-winner to avenge an earlier conference loss to Cal Poly…a second-team NSCAA/adidas All-America in 2006, when he earned College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player while helping the Gauchos to the national title…a third-team NSCAA/adidas All-America in 2005.

Julius James, D, Sr., Connecticut, Maloney Gardens, Trinidad
Making his second appearance as an MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist…also a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award…three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year…led the Huskies defense to 12 shutouts and a 0.56 goals-against average…played every minute of the regular season…had a game-winning goal against Syracuse and a goal and an assist against Louisville…two-time NSCAA/adidas All-America, including first-team honors in 2006.

Stephen King, M, Sr., Maryland, Medford, N.J.
All-ACC first team selection…Lowe’s Senior CLASS finalist…second in the country with 12 assists…tied the Maryland single-game record in the category with three against Virginia…has 32 career assists and 92 points…his 91 career starts are a school record…NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-America as a junior…two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America, including first-team selection in 2007…started every game of his career as a Terrapin.

Joseph Lapira, F, Sr., Notre Dame, Lake Charles, La.
The 2006 MAC Hermann Trophy recipient, when he became the program’s first unanimous first-team All-America…leads the Irish in goals (7), assists (8) and points (22)…demonstrated a penchant for scoring in big matches this season…had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over No. 1 UCLA…had two goals in a 3-3 tie against No. 1 Connecticut, and followed that effort with two goals against No. 12 Indiana.

Peter Lowry, M, Sr., Santa Clara, Fair Oaks, Calif.
West Coast Conference Player of the Year and a first-team All-WCC selection…had 24 points (eight goals, six assists) during the regular season…helped SCU to an undefeated conference record, a 17-game unbeaten streak and No. 3 ranking…made two appearances with the U.S. U-23 National Team in February, seeing action in two matches…NSCAA/adidas All-Region as a junior.

Patrick Nyarko, F, Jr., Virginia Tech, Kumasi, Ghana
Three-time first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection…had 18 points this season (five goals, eight assists)…has 29 career goals, sixth on the Virginia Tech career list…22 career assists rank fourth in school history…posted three-point games twice this season, at Tulsa and against Maryland…an NSCAA/adidas All-Region selection as a sophomore…

Yannick Reyering, F, Jr., Virginia, Mettingen, Germany
First-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection…opened the season at a torrid pace, scoring 13 goals in 16 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury…four of his goals were game-winners…his 39 goals rank ninth in school history…three-time All-ACC pick (first team as a freshman, second team as a sophomore)…two-time NSCAA/adidas All-Region honoree.

Brad Ring, M, Jr., Indiana, Rockford, Ill.
Unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection…leads the Hoosiers with 16 points (five goals, six assists)…his game-winning goal against Penn State gave IU a share of the conference title…Defensive MVP of the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament…assisted on the game-winning goal in the victory over UCLA…named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team…23 career points (eight goals, seven assists)…

Julian Valentin, D, Sr., Wake Forest, Lancaster, Pa.
A finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award…suffered an injury in late August that sidelined him for the first 13 games of the season…came back and scored his first goal of the season against Coastal Carolina on Oct. 23.

Michael Videira, M, Sr., Duke, Milford, Mass.
A three-time MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist...first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection for the third season…two-time third-team Academic All-America…started 15 matches and logged 1,215 minutes despite battling a leg injury…third-team NSCAA/adidas All-America and first-team All-Region as a junior…ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player in 2006.

O’Brian White, F, Jr., Connecticut, Scarborough, Ont.
Leads the NCAA in scoring with 19 goals and seven assists for 45 points…Big East Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Big East…conference Player of the Week five times this season…NSCAA National Player of the Week for Oct. 10 after scoring his first career hat trick against Pittsburgh.

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