Ledbetter Named to MAC Hermann Watch List
SIUE men’s soccer senior defender Austin Ledbetter is among 28 men announced to the 2016 preseason watch list for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, the highest individual award in intercollegiate soccer. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) released the list Wednesday.
“What an incredible and well-deserved honor for Austin,” SIUE Head Coach Mario Sanchez said. “He is coming off a good junior season and an impressive spring season. He is raising his game, and we’ll count on him this fall as an experienced leader.”
Ledbetter’s inclusion marks the third time in four seasons that an SIUE player has appeared on the prestigious list. Former Cougar Matt Polster was named to the list in 2013 and 2014.
A native of St. Charles, Missouri, Ledbetter was an NSCAA All-West Region first team and All-Missouri Valley Conference first team pick following his junior season. He started all 18 games in 2015 and anchored a Cougar defense that finished the year with a 0.64 team goals against average, which was good for seventh-best in the NCAA.
The Hermann Trophy is the annual award given to the top player in NCAA Division I men's soccer and has been awarded each year since 1967. The winners will be announced Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, with the trophy presentation at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
In total, 64 NCAA Division I players (36 women, 28 men) were named to the watch list.
Near the end of the collegiate regular season, NCAA Division I coaches whose programs are NSCAA College Services program members, will participate in the 2016 NSCAA All-America selection process and the MAC Hermann Trophy lists will be narrowed down to the top 15 players for men and women. College soccer fans will also have the opportunity to participate in the selection process by voting for their favorite semifinalists in November at the MAC Hermann Trophy website, managed by LockerDome.
From that pool of 30, a total of six finalists (three men, three women) will be chosen for the final balloting for the award. The finalists will be invited to St. Louis for the official announcement of the winners at a press conference prior to the annual MAC Hermann Trophy Banquet.
