KANSAS CITY, Mo. (theACC.com) - The ACC leads all conferences with 10 women’s soccer student-athletes on the 2021 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, announced Thursday by the organization.

The Hermann Trophy, presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club, is the nation’s highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year as determined by the voting of Division I coaches, who are members of United Soccer Coaches.

Last season, Florida State’s Jaelin Howell became the 15th student-athlete from a current ACC school and second from the FSU program to win the prestigious honor. All three 2020-21 MAC Hermann Trophy finalists were from the ACC, as the Seminoles’ Malia Berkely and North Carolina’s Brianna Pinto were the other two finalists.

Howell, a senior midfielder from Lone Tree, Colo., is one of nine Hermann semifinalists from last season to return this fall. She was also tabbed the ACC Midfielder of the Year and helped lead Florida State to the national championship game.

Florida State and Virginia tied for the most student-athletes on the watch list of any program, each with three. North Carolina had two student-athletes, while Clemson and Duke had one apiece.

The ACC’s 10 student-athletes on the watch list are three more than the next-closest conference.

Fifteen players will be announced as Hermann Trophy semifinalists on Nov. 30 following completion of Division I All-America voting following the fall season. Then on Dec. 8, the top three players from a final round of voting are the 2021 finalists. The 2021 winner will be revealed on Jan. 7, 2022, at a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo.

2021 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List
Megan Bornkamp, Clemson, So., D
Sophie Jones, Duke, Jr., M
Jaelin Howell, Florida State, Sr., M
Emily Madril, Florida State, Sr., D
Yujie Zhao, Florida State, Sr., M
Claudia Dickey, North Carolina, Sr., GK
Rachel Jones, North Carolina, Sr., F
Lia Godfrey, Virginia, So., M
Hailey Hopkins, Virginia, Gr., F
Alexa Spaanstra, Virginia, Sr., F