The IU men’s soccer season might have ended, but senior midfielder Tanner Thompson was named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann trophy, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced Tuesday.
The MAC Hermann Trophy is annually given to the best player in college soccer. Former Stanford forward and current Seattle Sounders FC forward Jordan Morris was the winner in 2015 when the Cardinal won the National Championship.
Thompson was named a first team All-Big Ten member for the third straight season along with being named the Big Ten midfielder of the year for the second straight season.
The senior ended the season with a team-leading eight goals, including four game winning goals, plus three assists.
The field will be narrowed from 15 to three finalists and those names will be announced Dec. 14 after votes are collected from NCAA Division I coaches.
If Thompson were to win, he would become the seventh IU player in history to have won the award. The last Hoosier to win the award was Danny O’Rourke in 2004.
“Tanner has had a wonderful career at IU,” IU Coach Todd Yeagley said in a press release. “His ability to create off the dribble and pass, make him a special player. He also works hard defensively and is tough mentally and physically. He has become an elite college player and is very deserving to be one of the semifinalists for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy award.”
The MAC Hermann award winner will be announced Jan. 6, 2017, at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Missouri.
Josh Eastern
