The 2012 college season is weeks away from getting started, and the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) have released their list of players to watch keep an eye on this year.
Senior Akron midfielder and New England Revolution academy product Scott Caldwell, and CSU-Bakersfield striker and LA Galaxy academy product Gyasi Zardes are among the 42 male players who have been identified for the 2012 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, which was announced on Monday. Other top MLS prospects on the list include Coastal Carolina striker Ashton Bennett, UConn playmaker Carlos Alvarez and Maryland fullback Taylor Kemp.
Iona leads the men's Watch List with four players, while Connecticut, Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion, Furman, Maryland, New Mexico and Memphis all have two players each on the list.
While the Hermann Award Watch List is a good sampling of the nation's top college players in terms of performance, it isn't necessarily considered a good gauge of the nation's top pro prospects. Last year's Watch List featured current MLS rookie standouts Andrew Wenger, Austin Berry, Kelyn Rowe and Tony Cascio, but did not include Darren Mattocks, Luis Silva, Nick DeLeon, Ryan Meara or Connor Lade, all players who were high on scouting radars heading into the 2011 college season.
Here is the full list of candidates on the 2012 Men's Hermann Award Watch List:
Men's Hermann Award Watch List
Sammy |
Adjei |
Jr. |
F |
Iona |
Newark, N.J. |
Carlos |
Alvarez |
Sr. |
M |
Connecticut |
Los Angeles |
Borja |
Barbero |
So. |
GK |
Iona |
Valladolid, Spain |
Will |
Bates |
Sr. |
F |
Virginia |
Chester, Va. |
Nathaniel |
Bekoe |
Jr. |
M |
Fordham |
Accra, Ghana |
Ashton |
Bennett* |
Sr. |
F |
Coastal Carolina |
Claredon, Jamaica |
Andrew |
Blake |
So. |
GK |
Connecticut |
May Pen, Jamaica |
Brendan |
Burgdorf |
Sr. |
F |
Bucknell |
Westfield, N.J. |
Scott |
Caldwell |
Sr. |
M |
Akron |
Braintree, Mass. |
Franklin |
Castellanos |
Jr. |
M |
Iona |
Dover, N.J. |
Marvcello |
Castro |
Sr. |
D |
Sacred Heart |
Parana, Brazil |
Marc |
Cintron |
Sr. |
M |
Providence |
Piscataway, N.J. |
Ryan |
Clark |
Sr. |
M |
Monmouth |
Freehold, N.J. |
Liam |
Collins |
Jr. |
M |
Memphis |
Skibbereen, Ireland |
Leonardo |
Fernandes |
Sr. |
M |
Stony Brook |
North Babylon, N.Y. |
Shaun |
Foster |
Jr. |
D |
Hofstra |
Southport, England |
Victor |
Francoz |
Sr. |
GK |
Old Dominion |
Fleurieu Sur Saone, France |
Tyler |
Gibson |
Jr. |
M |
Charlotte |
Knoxville, Tenn. |
Simon |
Gomez |
Jr. |
F |
Duquesne |
Manizales, Colombia |
Nick |
Hagglund |
Jr. |
D |
Xavier |
Cincinnati |
Chris |
Hegngi |
Sr. |
F |
Ohio State |
Silver Spring, Md. |
Coleton |
Henning |
Sr. |
M |
Furman |
Shawnee, Kan. |
Taylor |
Kemp |
Sr. |
D |
Maryland |
Highlands Ranch, Colo. |
Jonathan |
Mendoza |
Sr. |
M |
Stetson |
Altamonte Springs, Fla. |
Steve |
Neumann |
Jr. |
F |
Georgetown |
New Hope, Pa. |
Oscar |
Otto |
Sr. |
F |
Iona |
Willingshore, N.J. |
James |
Price |
Sr. |
D |
Saint Francis (Pa.) |
Christchurch, New Zealand |
Jonny |
Raj |
Sr. |
D |
Fairfield |
Auckland, New Zealand |
Pedro |
Ribeiro |
Jr. |
M |
Coastal Carolina |
Belo Horizonte, Brazil |
Devon |
Sandoval |
Sr. |
F |
New Mexico |
Albuquerque, N.M. |
Eric |
Schoenle |
Sr. |
D |
West Virginia |
Yardley, Pa. |
Mark |
Sherrod* |
Jr. |
F |
Memphis |
Knoxville, Tenn. |
Patrick |
Slogic |
Jr. |
D |
Cornell |
Colorado Springs, Colo. |
Yannick |
Smith* |
Sr. |
F |
Old Dominion |
Hillsborough, N.J. |
John |
Stertzer |
Sr. |
M |
Maryland |
Oakton, Va. |
Kyle |
Venter |
Sr. |
D |
New Mexico |
Aurora, Colo. |
Lee |
Williams |
Sr. |
D |
Appalachian State |
Liverpool, England |
Reece |
Wilson |
Sr. |
F |
Central Connecticut |
London, England |
Paul |
Wyatt |
Sr. |
M |
James Madison |
Modbury, England |
Gyasi |
Zardes* |
Jr. |
F |
CSU Bakersfield |
Hawthorne, Calif. |
Eriq |
Zaveleta |
So. |
F |
Indiana |
Westfield, Ind. |
Walker |
Zimmerman |
So. |
D |
Furman |
Lawrencevlle, Ga. |
———–
On the Women's Hermann Watch List, which has 38 players, are Penn State junior forward Maya Hayes, Oklahoma State senior goalkeeper Adrianna Franch and Florida State senior defender Ines Jaurena.
What do you think of the selections? Which college players are you most looking forward to seeing play? Who are you hoping to see on your MLS team next season?
Share your thoughts below.
Yes Iona. A top team to watch out for
Wow, only ONE west coast player on the whole list…and he plays for CSU Bakersfield??!!?!??
WTF!?!?!
It is amazing how much playing time new guys out of college are getting. It would be one thing if they were replacing guys who are leaving MLS, but they are just taking they jobs….beacuse they are better. In some cases way better
Where did Alan Gordon go to school? Alan Gordon reminds me of Zlatan Ibrahimovich.
Iona?
However it shakes out, it’s nice to know that my Revs will get the best of the bunch -__-