Aug. 11, 2009

Senior forward Byron Dacy of Creighton has achieved a first by earning a fourth listing on the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List. He is among 38 of the top men's NCAA Division I intercollegiate soccer players that comprise the 2009 Watch List.

The Atlantic Coast Conference placed three players on the Watch List, including a pair from Wake Forest in junior midfielder Corben Bone and junior defender Ike Opara. Virginia sophomore midfielder Tony Tchani is also listed Dacy's status as a fifth-year senior opened the door for him to become the first player to be included on four different versions of the Watch List. He suffered a torn ACL in 2007, forcing a medical redshirt year.

Creighton and Loyola-Maryland led the way on the Watch List with three players each. Drake, Monmouth, Tulsa, UCLA and Wake Forest each placed two on the list.

Considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer, the recipients of the MAC's Hermann Trophy are selected by Division I head coaches who are current members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. A list of 15 semifinalists is selected by a coaches committee in November, with three finalists announced in early December. They will invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo., for a news conference on Jan. 8, 2010, where the winner will be announced, with a presentation banquet following.

2009 Men's Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List

Name, Pos., Yr., School, Hometown
Andre Akpan, F, Sr., Harvard, Grand Prairie, Texas
Anthony Ampaipitakwong, M, Jr., Akron, Carrollton, Texas
Ben Arikian, M, Jr., Massachusetts, West Islip, N.Y.
Rafael Baca, M, Jr., Loyola Marymount, Lawndale, Calif.
Phil Bannister, F, Jr., Loyola (Md.), Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
Chase Barbiere, M, Jr., Monmouth, Hillsborough, N.J.
Mark Blades, D, Sr., Northwestern, Lakewood, Ohio
Corben Bone, M, Jr., Wake Forest, Plano, Texas
Jovan Bubonja, K, Sr., Illinois-Chicago, Belgrade, Serbia
Devan Carroll, F, Sr., North Carolina-Wilmington, Jacksonville, N.C.
Conor Chinn, F, Sr., San Francisco, San Diego, Calif.
Byron Dacy, F, Sr., Creighton, Omaha, Neb.
Jamie Darvill, F, Sr., Loyola (Md.), London, England
Two-Boys Gumede, F, Sr., UAB, Durbin, South Africa
Joel Gustafsson, D, Sr., St. John's, Gothenburg, Sweden
Ryan Kinne, M, Jr., Monmouth, Naugatuck, Conn.
Samson Malijani, F, Sr., Fairleigh Dickinson, Lusaka, Zambia
Jimmy Maurer, K, Jr., South Carolina, Lawrenceville, Ga.
Ashley McInnes, F, Jr., Tulsa, Aberdeen, Scotland
Tennant McVea, D, Sr., Loyola (Md.), Belfast, Northern Ireland
Kyle Nakazawa, F, Sr., UCLA, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
J.T. Noone, M, Sr., Temple, Harrisburg, Pa.
Conor O'Brien, M, Sr., Bucknell, Mt. Sinai, N.Y.
Ike Opara, D, Jr., Wake Forest, Durham, N.C.
Barry Rice, D, Sr., Kentucky, Parma, Ohio
Joe Salem, M, Sr., Tulsa, Akron, Ohio
Chris Schuler, D, Sr., Creighton, Aurora, Ill.
Kevin Shrout, M, Sr., Drake, Lee's Summit, Mo.
Patrick Sigler, D, So., Cal Poly, Windsor, Calif.
Seth Sinovic, D, Sr, Creighton, Leawood, Kan.
Andy Stadler, M, Sr., George Washington, Wauwatosa, Wis.
Toni Stahl, M, Sr., Connecticut, Tuusula, Finland
Michael Stephens, M, Sr., UCLA, Naperville, Ill.
Tony Tchani, M, So., Virginia, Norfolk, Va.
Bobby Warshaw, M, Jr., Stanford, Mechanicsburg, Pa.
Garrett Webb, F, Sr., Drake, Prairie Village, Kan.
Alex Weekes, F, Sr., Colgate, Stroudsburg, Pa.
Andrew Wiedeman, F, Jr., California-Berkeley, San Ramon, Calif.