KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Albert Ruiz has solidified himself as one of the three best players in college soccer, as the FGCU striker on Wednesday morning was named a finalist for the 2016 MAC Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

Ruiz is one of three finalists, along with Wake Forest midfielder Ian Harkes and Maryland forward Gordon Wild. Harkes helped lead the Demon Deacons to the College Cup Final, while Wild (17 goals, 39 points) and Ruiz were the top-two goal scorers in Division I this season.

The national leader in goals (22) and points (49) by a wide margin, Ruiz has been extended an invitation and is expected to be in attendance when the winner is announced at the 2016 MAC Hermann Trophy Banquet at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 6.

The most coveted individual honor in D-I soccer, the MAC Hermann Trophy has been awarded annually since 1967. The finalists were determined based on voting by D-I coaches. An NSCAA First Team All-American – the first in the ASUN since 1997 – Ruiz was one of 15 semifinalists announced late last month.

Ruiz is the first player in ASUN history to be named a finalist (or semifinalist) for the MAC Hermann Trophy. Ruiz scored five more goals and totaled nine more points than any other player in the country this season. He also led all D-I players in goals per game (1.10; next closest: 0.89) and points per game (2.45; next closest: 1.95).

By himself, Ruiz scored more goals than 74 teams – more than one-third of the 203 D-I men’s programs – and secured more points than 43 teams.

“What an absolutely incredible honor not only for Albert, but for his family, our program, the entire university and the ASUN Conference,” said FGCU program-founding head coach Bob Butehorn. “He’s deservingly earned an opportunity to be selected as the best player in college soccer, and it’s so rewarding to see all of his hard work pay off. Albert is a great ambassador for the sport of college soccer, and is someone who perfectly exemplifies what hard work and dedication can accomplish.”

Ruiz was also lauded as the ASUN Player of the Year, selected as the ASUN Tournament MVP and was named an ASUN First Team and ASUN All-Tournament Team member while leading FGCU to the NCAA Tournament Second Round for the first time.

“It’s truly an honor for me to represent this amazing school throughout the country and around the world,” added Ruiz. “I’ll be forever thankful for everything I’ve received here at FGCU. I can’t thank my teammates, coaches and FGCU community enough for helping make this happen.”

The Spaniard’s 22 goals are the most by a D-I player in a single season since 2012, and the most in the ASUN in more than a decade. Ruiz scored five goals in four postseason games (two ASUN Championship matches; two NCAA Tournament contests) as part of a larger streak of him scoring a goal in eight of FGCU’s final nine games of the year.

Ruiz secured two hat tricks during the regular season, including what is believed to be the fastest in D-I history from the start of the game (9:02 at Rutgers, Sept. 27). He had six games of four or more points, including a program single-game record 7 versus UNCW. Ruiz destroyed the previous single-season program record for goals (7) and points (17).

Ruiz helped guide FGCU to its fourth ASUN Championship title in just six seasons of D-I postseason eligibility. He also aided in steering the Green and Blue to a program-record #11 NSCAA national ranking during FGCU’s 14-4-3 year, setting the program’s single-season record for wins. Included in that stretch was a program-best 10-game winning streak.

Ruiz converted the game-clinching penalty kick in FGCU’s 3-0 PK win over USF in the NCAA First Round, propelling the Eagles into the Second Round for the first time in program history. He then scored the go-ahead goal in the 72nd minute at North Carolina in the Second Round before the Eagles fell just short in double overtime to the Tar Heels, who eventually advanced to the College Cup.

The Eagles scored at least two goals in every match this past year with the exception of three – and two of those came in the first three outings of the year. Ruiz played a crucial part in that as FGCU was not shut out all year, something that had never happened in the 10-year history of the program. The Eagles led the nation by a drastic margin in goals with 62 and points with 179 – both easily single-season program records.

FGCU – which has only been D-I since 2007-08 – has a previous national player of the year recognition. In 2010, current Boston Red Sox starter and five-time MLB All-Star Chris Sale was named the Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year, one of a few different national player of the year awards handed out in the sport.

In 1967, Robert Hermann, the president of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the NPSL’s successor, the North American Soccer League, established a trophy to annually recognize the top men’s collegiate soccer player. The trophy, named the Hermann Trophy, has been awarded each year since 1967. In 1988, a second Hermann Trophy was inaugurated to recognize the top women’s collegiate player of the year.

For more information regarding the award, visit MACHermannTrophy.org.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU men’s soccer program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_MSoccer, Instagram @FGCU_MSoccer, Facebook /FGCUMSoccer and YouTube /FGCUAthletics.

COACH BUTEHORN
FGCU is led by Bob Butehorn, who has coached six professional players and 63 ASUN All-Conference selections since FGCU started its program in 2007. In just six years of postseason eligibility, Butehorn has guided FGCU to four ASUN Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances – in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016 – and won an unprecedented six-straight ASUN regular-season championships from 2010-15. His teams have been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets, including a program-record #11 NSCAA ranking in 2016. Having just completed his 14th season as a head coach, Butehorn has a 129-94-28 (.570) overall record, 95-63-24 (.588) mark in his 10 seasons at FGCU and a 52-18-7 (.721) record in ASUN contests.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics’ charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.