Three named to MAC Hermann trophy watch list

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Three Pac-12 women’s soccer student-athletes were named to the Missouri Athletic Club’s  (MAC) Hermann Trophy Watch List, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced on Tuesday. UCLA’s Abby Dahlkemper, STANFORD’s Taylor Uhl and CALIFORNIA’s Ifeoma Onumonu were selected for the watch list for the award given to the top player in college soccer, equivalent to the Heisman trophy in football. The award’s recipients are selected by Division I head coaches who are current members of the NSCAA

Abby Dahlkemper, a junior defender for the Bruins, is a two-time All-American and All-Pac-12 performer that led UCLA to an appearance in the quarterfinals of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Dahlkemper is one of seven returning all-Conference performers returning for the Bruins who were picked by the coaches as league favorites in 2013. 

The Cardinal’s Taylor Uhl has yet to play a game in a Stanford uniform, but as the nation’s top scorer in 2012 she is expected to make an immediate impact after transferring from Minnesota. Uhl, a junior forward, scored 21 goals and accumulated a nation’s best 51 points as a sophomore last season for the Golden Golphers. She was granted a release after the conclusion of the season and is eligible to play immediately for the Cardinal.

Sophomore Ifeoma Onumonu was named the 2012 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year after leading the Conference’s freshmen in points (27), goals (11) and assists (5). The all-Conference and all-freshman team selection was second in the Conference in goals and third in total points. Onumonu is just one of three sophomores on the watch list of 31 NCAA Division I players. 

Near the conclusion of the 2013 season, the list will be narrowed down to the top 15 by the coaches that are members of the NSCAA. Once the semifinalists are announced, fans will be able to cast a vote for the winner starting in November. The top three will then move on as finalists for the award and the winner will be announced at the trophy presentation banquet at the Missouri Athletic club in St. Louis on Friday January 10, 2014.

The full watch list can be found at www.nscaatv.com.