Last year's Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy winner, a three-time first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and the Big East Offensive Player of the Year comprise the three finalists for the 2007 Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy, the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer. The finalists were determined in voting by Division I men's soccer coaches who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Notre Dame's Joseph Lapira, Virginia Tech's Patrick Nyarko and Connecticut's O'Brian White 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.

Lapira, a senior forward from Lake Charles, La., won the 2006 MAC Hermann Trophy after leading the nation in scoring. In 2007, he led the Irish in goals, assists and points. Lapira demonstrated a penchant for scoring in big matches this season. He had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over No. 1 UCLA. Lapira also netted two goals in a 3-3 tie against No. 1 Connecticut and followed up that effort with two goals against No. 12 Indiana.

Nyarko, a junior forward from Kumasi, Ghana, is a three-time first-team All-ACC selection. In the NCAA quarterfinal match against No. 1 UConn, he scored the only goal of the game to lead the Hokies to their first College Cup appearance in school history. Heading into the semi-final match against Wake Forest, Nyarko has 7 goals and 10 assists.  He posted three-point games twice this season, at Tulsa and against Maryland. Nyarko is the first finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy from Virginia Tech.

White, a junior forward from Scarborough, Ont., leads the NCAA in scoring with 23 goals and 53 points. He was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors. White was named the conference Player of the Week five times this season. He was named the NSCAA National Player of the Week for Oct. 10 after scoring his first career hat trick against Pittsburgh. This season, White led the Huskies to the NCAA quarterfinals, where they lost to Virginia Tech.

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.

NSCAA members log in to comment. Not a member? Learn more today.