Nov. 16, 2005
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Greg Dalby (Poway, Calif./Poway), a junior midfielder/defender on the Notre Dame men’s soccer team, has been tabbed as a semifinalist for the 2005 Missouri Athletic Club (M.A.C.) Hermann Trophy, the most prestigious individual award in intercollegiate soccer. The trophy is presented annually to the top male and female Division I soccer player in the United States. The award, which is the official National Soccer Coaches Association of America Player of the Year award for Division I competition, is regarded as college soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy.
Dalby, a tri-captain for this year’s squad, becomes the third student-athlete in program history to be selected as a semifinalist for the award. Last season the Fighting Irish boasted two semifinalists, senior defenders Jack Stewart and Kevin Goldthwaite.
Last week, Dalby garnered all-BIG EAST honors as he was a unanimous selection to the first team. Joining Dalby as a M.A.C. Hermann Trophy semifinalist from the BIG EAST is St. John’s Matt Groenwald, a forward, and Seton Hall’s Sacha Kljestan, a midfielder. Kljestan was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year.
Dalby has been a steady presence both in the Irish defense and midfield this season as he is one of four Fighting Irish players to have started all 20 games so far this campaign. He tallied Notre Dame’s first goal of the season, just 1:26 into a 4-1 season-opening victory against No. 7 SMU. That was the first goal of his collegiate career. He also collected an assist versus the Mustangs. Dalby has five points on the year coming on two goals and one assist. His other goal was the game-winner versus Pittsburgh.
This past summer, Dalby captained the U.S. Under-20 team in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Notre Dame and UCLA are the only two schools to have semifinalists for both the men and women this season. The Fighting Irish had four members on the women’s list, Jen Buczkowski, Candace Chapman, Kerri Hanks and Katie Thorlakson.
The winner will be determined in voting by NSCAA Division I member coaches. Three men’s and three women’s finalists for the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy will be announced at the 2005 Men’s College Cup on Dec. 9. The finalists will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 6, 2006, for the announcement of the winner at a press conference, which will be telecast live by ESPNews. Both winners will be presented the prestigious crystal soccer ball trophy at a banquet later that evening.
The Fighting Irish will take on Western Illinois in the first round of the NCAA tournament this Friday (Nov. 18) at Alumni Field. Game time is set for 5:00 p.m.
MEN’S 2005 M.A.C. HERMANN TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS
Player Class School Hometown
Medhi Ballouchy Jr. Santa Clara Casablanca, Morocco
Greg Dalby Jr. Notre Dame Poway, Calif.
Jason Garey Sr. Maryland Gonzales, La.
Matt Groenwald Sr. St. John's Mt. Prospect, Ill.
Patrick Ianni Jr. UCLA Lodi, Calif.
Aaron King Sr. North Carolina StateDenver, Colo.
Sacha Kljestan Jr. Seton Hall Huntington Beach, Calif.
Justin Moose Sr. Wake Forest Statesville, N.C.
Randi Patterson Jr. UNC-Greensboro Hackensack, N.J.
Jacob Peterson Jr. Indiana Portage, Mich.
Brian Plotkin Sr. Indiana Lisle, Ill.
Jeff Rowland Sr. New Mexico Albuquerque, N.M.
Michael Videira So. Duke Milford, Mass.
Marvell Wynne So. UCLA Poway, Calif.
Jed Zayner Jr. Indiana Overland Park, Ill.