University of Delaware Athletics
Frimpong a Semifinalist for Herrmann Player of the Year Trophy (Dec. 7, 2011)
12/7/2011 3:56:00 PM | Men's Soccer
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Evans Frimpong, who led the University of Delaware men's soccer squad to its finest season in school history this past fall, is one of 15 semifinalists for the Hermann Award Trophy, the highest honor in collegiate soccer.
The annual national player of the year award has been presented by the Missouri Athletic Club each year since 1967.
Frimpong, a senior forward from Accra, Ghana, becomes the first player in Delaware history to be among the final 15 semifinalists. He was among two Colonial Athletic Association players named to the field, joining Yannick Smith of Old Dominion.
“It's obviously been a terrific year for the program,” said Delaware head coach Ian Hennessy. “We were ranked No. 23 by Soccer America at the close of the regular season and will probably climb into the Top 25 in most polls by season's end, in part due to UCLA's run into the Final Four this weekend against UNC. The CAA has been incredible this year, sending four teams to the NCAA tournament, and with Evans being named as the player of the year in the conference, it comes as no surprise that he is in the running for the Hermann Trophy. His commitment to success on a daily level is now being rewarded. I couldn't be happier for him.”
Frimpong earned CAA men's soccer Player of the Year accolades after leading the Blue Hens with 29 points on 12 goals and five assists this season. He was the first Delaware player to receive the CAA's top award. He scored two goals in a game five times during the season and his 12 goals were the seventh highest single season total in UD history.
A two-time All-CAA selection, Frimpong helped lead Delaware to its first CAA championship and its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1970. The Blue Hens, who set a school record for wins this season with a record of 13-6-4, upset perennial power Virginia, 1-0, in the first round before falling 1-0 at UCLA in the second round. UCLA has now advanced to the national semifinals.
Head coaches of NCAA Division I programs with current membership in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) will vote to determine the 2011 MAC Hermann Trophy recipient. Three finalists for the award will be announced on Friday, Dec. 9. They will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis for a news conference on Friday, Jan. 6, 2012, where the winner will be announced.
AGATE:
2011 Hermann Award Semifinalists: Ashton Bennett (Coastal Carolina); Dom Dwyer (South Florida); Ethan Finlay (Creighton); Evans Frimpong (Delaware); Chandler Hoffman (UCLA); Brian Holt (Creighton); Enzo Martinez (North Carolina); Darren Mattocks (Akron); Billy Schuler (North Carolina); Mark Sherrod (Memphis); Luis Silva (UC Santa Barbara); Yannick Smith (Old Dominion); Casey Townsend (Maryland); Andrew Wenger (Duke); Gyasi Zardes (CSU Bakersfield).
