Akpan Honored as a Semifinalist for Hermann Trophy

Pictured: Andre Akpan is Harvard's all-time leading scorer with 127 points on 47 goals and 33 assists.
Photo courtesy: David Silverman Photography

Complete Hermann Trophy Semifinalist Release

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Senior forward Andre Akpan of the Harvard men's soccer team has been named one of 15 semifinalists for the 2009 Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer.  Akpan is making his third consecutive appearance among the semifinalists.

Harvard's all-time leading scorer with 127 points, Akpan also ranks first in school history with 33 assists and finished his career tied with Chris Ohiri '64 for first with 47 goals.  A native of Grand Prairie, Texas, Akpan, as four-time All-Ivy honoree, was tabbed the Ivy League Player of the Year this season and was an unanimous selection to the All-Ivy first team.  Akpan has also received several national postseasn honors, as he is a nominee for Soccer News Net Player of the Year and earned a nod to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Year, garnering a spot on the second team.

A co-captain of the Crimson, Akpan, a forward, led Harvard with 12 goals this fall, netting four game-winning tallies. He paced the team with 30 points, ranking him 17th in the nation with 1.58 points per game.  Akpan, a two-time NSCAA All-America choice, was also an Academic All-Ivy League choice and received a nod to the ECAC Division I Men's Soccer All-Star first team this fall.

Division I college head coaches with current membership in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) will vote to determine the 2009 MAC Hermann Trophy recipient. Three finalists for the award will be announced on Friday, Dec. 11. The three finalists will then be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis for a news conference on Friday, Jan. 8, 2010, where the winner will be announced. A dinner and formal presentation of the award will follow the news conference that evening.

Men’s 2009 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Semifinalists
Andre Akpan, F, Sr., Harvard, Grand Prairie, Texas
Anthony Ampaipitakwong, M, Jr., Akron, Carrollton, Texas
Corben Bone, M, Jr., Wake Forest, Plano, Texas
Teal Bunbury, F, So., Akron, Prior Lake, Minn.
Ryan Kinne, M, Jr., Monmouth, Naugatuck, Conn.
Zach Loyd, D, Sr., North Carolina, Verdigris, Okla.
Danny Mwanga, F, So., Oregon State, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Kyle Nakazawa, F, Sr., UCLA, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
Conor O'Brien, M, Sr., Bucknell, Mt. Sinai, N.Y.
Ike Opara, D, Jr., Wake Forest, Durham, N.C.
Colin Rolfe, F, So., Louisville, Canton, Mich.
Toni Stahl, M, Sr., Connecticut, Tuusula, Finland
Tony Tchani, M, So., Virginia, Norfolk, Va.
Bobby Warshaw, M, Jr., Stanford, Mechanicsburg, Pa.
Garrett Webb, F, Sr., Drake, Prairie Village, Kan.