Irving, Matsoso on Hermann Watch List
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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky men’s soccer stars Callum Irving and Napo Matsoso have been named to the MAC Hermann Watch List by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s All-America committee.
Kentucky joins Charlotte, Georgetown, CSU-Bakersfield and Stanford as the only men’s soccer teams in the nation with multiple players on the watch list.
The Missouri Athletic Club’s (MAC) Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer presented annually to one male and one female athlete.
The winners will be announced Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, at the trophy presentation banquet in St. Louis.
The lists are compiled by the NSCAA Men’s and Women’s NCAA Division I All-America Committees, based on analysis of returning All-America and All-Region players, as well as any prominent newcomers..
Irving is coming off an All-America season in 2014, totaling 10 shutouts and a 0.77 goals-against average. He earned C-USA Player of the Year, Defensive MVP and first-team All-C-USA honors, in addition to the Golden Glove award, given to the league-leader in shutouts in conference action (five). In his career, the senior has the third-best goals-against average (0.98) in UK history. He enters 2015 as the TopDrawerSoccer.com selection, by the nation’s coaches in the preseason, as the top goalkeeper in college soccer.
Matsoso, a first-team All-C-USA selection in 2014, totaled five goals and four assists a year ago, helping lead UK to 10 wins. Wilson was also tabbed first-team All-C-USA as a sophomore in 2014. On Wednesday Kentucky paced the preseason All-Conference USA team with its three selections, with Irving, the reigning C-USA Player of the Year and Defensive MVP, selected to repeat as the circuit’s top defender. Matsoso, a junior midfielder, and Jordan Wilson, a junior center back, were also voted to the preseason All-Conference USA team.
Kentucky will open its 2015 season on Aug. 16 with an exhibition tune-up at Northern Kentucky at 7 p.m.
