Yannick Smith Semifinalist for Hermann Award

Dec. 8, 2011

The Missouri Athletic Club has announced that ODU's junior forward Yannick Smith (Hillsborough, NJ.) is a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy as the top Collegiate Soccer Player of the Year.

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).

Smith, a junior led the CAA and ranked among the nation's top scorers with 16 goals and 34 total points. Smith is 12th nationally in total points and ninth nationally in total goals scored.

Smith was selected first team All-CAA as ODU finished second in the CAA regular season and reached the league championship match, then for the eighth time in 10 years advanced to the second round of the NCAA College Cup.

Voting for the MAC Hermann Trophy is conducted in late November, when a field of 15 semifinalists is reduced to three finalists. Those three will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 6, 2012, where a news conference will be held to announce the winner, followed by a banquet to honor the three finalists.

THE SEMIFINALISTS ARE: Ashton Bennett F, Jr., Coastal Carolina, Claredon, Jamaica

Started 18 of 22 games for the Chanticleers...had 23 goals and seven assists for 53 points...tallied nine game-winners...put 45% of his shots on frame and scored on 29.5% of his attempts...leads the nation with 2.41 points per game and 22 goals and is second in goals per game (1.05)...the Big South Attacking Player of the Year.

Dom Dwyer F, Jr., South Florida, London, England

Appeared in all 20 games for the Bulls...led the team with 35 points on 16 goals and three assists...put 32 of his 62 shots on frame, a .518 accuracy rate, and converted 16 to goals, a .258 percentage...scored the deciding goal in five of USF's 13 wins...ranked ninth in the nation in points (35) and goals (16).

Ethan Finlay F, Sr., Creighton, Marshfield, Wis.

Started all 22 games for the Bluejays...leads the team with 32 points on 13 goals and six assists...has taken 84 shots, putting 44 on frame (.524) and scoring on 13 (.155)...his 1.45 points per game ranks 23rd in the nation...his .59 goals per game is good for 22nd in the nation...two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year.

Evans Frimpong F, Sr., Delaware, Accra, Ghana

Appeared in 21 games for the Blue Hens, starting 20...led the team with 29 points on 12 goals and five assists...tallied three game-winning goals...put 30 of his 65 shots on goal (.462) and converted 12 (.185)...named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year.

Chandler Hoffman F, Jr., UCLA, Birmingham, Ala.

Started all 22 games for the Bruins...scored 18 goals and credited with four assists for a total of 40 points ...his .82 goals per game ranks him seventh in the nation...ranked fourth in the nation in goals (18) and sixth in points (40)...notched five game-winning goals this season...a first-team All-Pac-12 selection.

Brian Holt K, Sr., Creighton, Omaha, Neb.

Leads the nation in both save percentage (.915) and goals against average (.228)...Creighton's .77 shutout percentage and .22 goals against average both are tops in the country...has 15 shutouts in 22 games, allowing only five goals in that timeframe...Missouri Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year.

Enzo Martinez M, Jr., North Carolina, Rock Hill, S.C.

Started 22 of 23 games for the Tar Heels...scored nine goals and offered up 10 assists for 28 points...leads the team in shots with 84...tied for seventh in the nation in assists with 10...converted all three of his penalty kick attempts...a first-team All-ACC selection.

Darren Mattocks F, So., Akron, Portmore, Jamaica

Started 22 of 23 games for the Zips...is ranked second in the nation in total goals (21) and points (46)... third in the nation in goals per game (.95)...his 2.09 points per game is good for fourth in the nation... Mid-American Conference Player of the Year...tallied six game-winners this season.

Billy Schuler F, Jr., North Carolina, Allentown, N.J.

Started 20 of 22 games for the Tar Heels...has 15 goals and four assists this season...his 34 points tie him for 11th in the nation...put 42 of his 82 shots on goal (.512)...scored eight game-winners for UNC...a first-team All-ACC selection.

Mark Sherrod F, So., Memphis, Knoxville, Tenn.

Started all 18 games for the Tigers...accumulated 42 points on 19 goals and four assists...leads the nation goals per game (1.06) and second in points per game (2.33)...his 19 goals ranks third in the nation...put 38 of his 77 shots on goal (.494)...had seven game-winners...Conference USA Player of the Year.

Luis Silva M, Sr., UCSB, Los Angeles, Calif.

Started 22 of 23 games for the Gauchoes...has 17 goals and 10 assists this season...ranked third in the nation in total points with 44 and fifth in points per game (2.00)...tied for 11th in goals per game (.77)...earned Big West Midfielder of the Year honors.

Yannick Smith F, Jr., Old Dominion, Hillsborough, N.J.

A first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection...started 19 games for ODU...scored 16 goals and added a pair of assists for 34 points...is sixth in the nation in goals per game (.84)...his 34 points tie him for 11th in the nation...recorded three game-winning goals.

Casey Townsend F, Sr., Maryland, Traverse City, Mich.

First-team All-ACC for the second consecutive year...had hat tricks against UMBC and West Virginia...his 17 goals is the sixth-best season in Terps history...is eighth in the nation in total points (36) and ninth in goals per game (.81)...14th in the nation in points per game (1.71).

Andrew Wenger F, Jr., Duke, Lititz, Pa.

Started all 22 games for the Blue Devils...led the team with 17 goals and 42 points...tied for fourth in the nation in total points, sixth in goals scored and 11th in goals per game (.77)...his 1.91 points per game is seventh in the nation...had four game-winning goals...ACC Offensive Player of the Year.

Gyasi Zardes F, So., CSU Bakersfield, Hawthorne, Calif.

Started 19 games for the Roadrunners...scored 18 goals and had a pair of assists for 38 points...put half of his shot attempts on goal (55 of 110)...had four game-winners...ranked fourth in the nation in goals per game (.90) and seventh in total points (38)...No. 8 in the nation in points per game (1.90)...named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Year.