A four-time NSCAA All-America, a first-team All-ACC selection and the Pac-10 Player of the Year comprise the three finalists for the 2009 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, Tobin Heath from North Carolina and Kelley O’Hara from Stanford are the three finalists for the award. The trio will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 8, 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.

Cheney, a senior forward from Indianapolis, Ind., became the first player in UCLA history to earn NSCAA All-America honors all four years of her college career. She finished the 2009 season ranked second on the team in scoring with 46 points (18 goals, 10 assists), while leading the Bruins to the school’s seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA College Cup. She rewrote the UCLA career record book by ranking first in points (173) and game-winning goals (28). Cheney had a goal and two assists in three games with the U.S. Women’s National Team last summer. She was the runner-up for the 2007 MAC Hermann Trophy.

Heath, a senior midfielder from Basking Ridge, N.J., scored five goals and had 10 assists in helping North Carolina capture its third national championship in the past four seasons. She started every game for the Tar Heels and earned first team All-ACC and NSCAA All-America honors. Heath was a member of the U.S. National team that won the gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. She was a two-time MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist and her teammate, Casey Nogueira, was the 2008 MAC Hermann Trophy runner-up.

O’Hara, a senior forward from Fayetteville, Ga., was the 2009 Pac-10 Player of the Year and led Stanford to its first appearance in the College Cup final, where the Cardinal fell to North Carolina. She led the nation in goals with 26, including nine game-winners and added 13 assists. O’Hara earned first team NSCAA All-America honors in 2009 and earned All-America honors the previous two seasons. She becomes the first Stanford player to be voted a semifinalist 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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