The Pac-10 Player of the Year, the Big 12's Offensive Player of the Year and the Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year comprise the three finalists for the 2007 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer. The finalists were determined in voting by Division I women's soccer coaches who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Lauren Cheney from UCLA, Ashlee Pistorius of Texas A&M and Mami Yamaguchi from Florida State are the three finalists for the award. The trio will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 11, for a news conference, where the winner of the award will be revealed. The announcement will be carried live on ESPNews (7 p.m. EST). A banquet at the Club that evening will feature the formal presentation of the prestigious crystal soccer ball trophy to the winner.

Cheney, a sophomore forward from Indianapolis, Ind., was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year after leading the conference in every major statistical category, including points (57), goals (23), assists (11) and game-winning goals (nine). She rewrote the UCLA single-season scoring record by scoring the game-winner and logging an assist in the NCAA Tournament win over Virginia. Cheney led the Bruins to the College Cup, where they lost in the semi-finals to USC, the eventual national champions.

Pistorius, a senior forward from Bloomington, Ill., was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 25 goals. She was a four-time All-Big 12 selection, including three consecutive first-team honors. Pistorious started 90 consecutive matches for the Aggies and set the Big 12 career records for goals (81) and points (194). As a junior, she earned second-team NSCAA/adidas All-America honors.

Yamaguchi, a forward from Tokyo, Japan, was the ACC Offensive Player of the Year. She was the only player to rank in the top 10 in points, goals and assists. This season, Yamaguchi set FSU records for points (66), goals (24) and assists (18). She had five multi-goal performances, including three hat tricks. Yamaguchi had a seven-game goal-scoring streak, establishing a new school record. She led the Seminoles to the College Cup finals, where they lost to USC.

The MAC has honored the top player in collegiate soccer since 1986. Some of the biggest names in soccer, such as Mia Hamm and Claudio Reyna, have won the award. For a complete list of past winners, go to www.mac-hermann-trophy.org. An exhibition featuring the current and past recipients of the MAC Hermann Trophy is on display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y.

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