TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State senior Kelsey Wys and junior Dagny Brynjarsdottir were named to the Missouri Athletic Club’s (MAC) Hermann Trophy Watch List as announced by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America on Tuesday afternoon. The Seminoles were one of seven schools with at least two players named to the 31-member watch list.
The MAC Hermann Trophy is the highest individual award in intercollegiate soccer. The recipients are selected by head coaches of NCAA Division I programs who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
“Both Kelsey and Dagny are coming off a great season,” said head coach Mark Krikorian. “They are certainly among the top players in the country and it is nice to see them recognized for their hard work. I am sure they will go out and compete at an elite level as they have done in their previous years here at Florida State.”
Wys led a Florida State defense that set school records for shutouts (17), goals against average (0.62) and fewest goals allowed in ACC play (4) last year. The Seminole backline went on to finish the season ranked in the top 40 nationally in shutouts percentage (2nd), GAA (12th) and save percentage (36th). The Coral Springs, Fla., native has 68 career starts under her belt and has posted a record of 51-15-2 with 30 shutouts and a GAA of 0.82 as the Seminole goalkeeper over the last three seasons.
Brynjarsdottir had a breakout sophomore season posting single-season career-highs in every offensive category including goals (9), assists (9), points (27), shots (40), game-winning goals (5) and game-winning assists (2). The Icelandic native finished 2012 ranked in the top 10 in the ACC in four offensive categories including game-winning goals (t-2nd), assists per game (4th - 0.50), points per game (7th - 1.50) and goals per game (10th - 0.50). In her first two seasons at Florida State, Brynjarsdottir has started 37 matches and has tallied 40 points on 14 goals and 12 assists including seven game-winning goals.
Other schools with multiple student-athletes on the 2013 watch list included Florida State (2), Georgetown (2), Navy (2), North Carolina (2), Penn State (2), Santa Clara (2) and Wake Forest (2).
Although both Seminoles are newcomers to the Hermann Trophy Watch List in 2013, Florida State has not been a stranger on the list in the past. FSU has had a student-athlete named to the watch list every year since 2004, while this year marks the seventh time in school history that two student-athletes have been named to the preseason list. In 2004, Leah Gallegos became the first Seminole stand out to make the list. She was then followed by Kelly Rowland (2005), Selin Kuralay (2006), India Trotter (2006) and Sarah Wagenfuhr (2007). Becky Edwards and Amanda DaCosta were both named to the preseason watch list in back-to-back seasons in 2008 and 2009, while Tiffany McCarty and Toni Pressley were honored on the watch list in both 2010 and 2011. McCarty and Ines Jaurena were represented on the preseason list to open the 2012 season.
In 2007, Mami Yamaguchi became the first Seminole player to claim the top individual honor in women's soccer. She won the Hermann Trophy after leading the country in points (66) and finishing second in goals (24) and assists (18). Yamaguchi played a major role in Florida State's run to the 2007 National Championship game. The Tokyo, Japan native also made school history becoming the first FSU player to be named a finalist for the Hermann Trophy.
Near the end of the collegiate regular season, NCAA Division I coaches that are NSCAA members will vote on their top choices and the lists will be narrowed down to the top 15. College soccer fans will also have the opportunity to participate in the selection process, as they will be able to vote for their favorite semifinalist starting in November at the MAC Hermann Trophy website.
From that pool of 30, six finalists (three men, three women) will be chosen for the award. The winners will be announced in January.
2013 NSCAA Women’s MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List honorees:
Player, Class, Pos., School, Hometown
Natasha Anasi*, Sr., D, Duke
Jessie Ayers, Jr., MF, Colorado College
Janine Beckie, So., F, Texas Tech
Aubrey Bledsoe, Sr., GK, Wake Forest
Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Jr., MF, Florida State
Whitney Church, Jr., D, Penn State
Daphne Corboz*, Jr., MF, Georgetown
Abigail Dahlkemper, Jr., D, UCLA
Vanessa DiBernardo, Sr., MF, Illinois
Marissa Diggs , Sr., D, UCF
Crystal Dunn#, Sr., MF, North Carolina
Jonelle Filigno, Sr., F, Rutgers
Amanda Frisbie, Sr., F, Portland
Arin Gilliland, Jr., D, Kentucky
Kristen Hamilton, Sr., F, Denver
Maya Hayes*, Sr., F, Penn State
Elizabeth Hoerner, Sr., GK, Navy
Julie Johnston*, Sr., MF, Santa Clara
Morgan Marlborough, Sr., F, Santa Clara.
Tesa McKibben, Sr., F, St. Francis
Emily Menges, Sr., D, Georgetown
Kealia Ohai*, Sr., F, North Carolina
Ifeoma Onumonu, So., F, California
Cari Roccaro, So., MF, Notre Dame
Jade Seabrook, Jr., D, Navy
Katie Stengel, Sr., F, Wake Forest
Meghan Streight, Jr., MF, Texas A&M
Taylor Uhl, Jr., F, Stanford
Hannah Wilkinson, Jr., F, Tennessee
Lynn Williams, Jr., F, Pepperdine
Kelsey Wys, Sr., G, Florida State
* 2011 Hermann Award Semifinalist
# 2011 Hermann Award Finalist
