A pair of Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the nation's top goal-scorer comprise the three finalists for the 2008 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).

Sam Cronin (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Marcus Tracy (Newtown, Conn.) from Wake Forest and Akron’s Steve Zakuani (London, England) are the three finalists for the award. The trio will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 9, for a news conference, where the winner of the award will be revealed (approximately 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.

Cronin, a senior midfielder, is a two-time All-ACC selection. This season he has scored ten goals and added four assists in helping the Demon Deacons to a second consecutive College Cup appearance, following their 2007 national championship season. Cronin has started every game of his career at Wake, setting the school record for most starts.

Tracy, a senior forward, scored 13 goals and added 10 assists for 36 points, including three game-winners for Wake. He has put more than 60 percent of his shots on goal and scored one goal in each of the first six games of the season. Tracy scored a goal in Wake’s 5-0 victory over South Florida in the NCAA quarterfinals. Tracy and Cronin are the first teammates to be MAC finalists since University of Virgnia’s Mike Fisher and Damian Silvera in 1995.

Zakuani, a sophomore forward, was the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year. He led the nation in goals and points per game (2.14). Zakuani had seven game-winning goals this season, including one in overtime that gave the Zips the Mid-American Tournament crown. He is the first Akron player to be voted a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy.

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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