Hesmer, White Selected as Hermann Trophy Semifinalists
11/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 13, 2003
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Wake Forest senior All-Americans William Hesmer and Jeremiah White have been tabbed as semifinalists for the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy, the NSCAA announced on Tuesdasy. Hesmer and White are two of the fifteen players from around the country who will appear on the final ballot.
The award is the highest individual award in intercollegiate soccer competition. Hesmer and White are the second and third players in Wake Forest history to be selected as Hermann Trophy semifinalists. Brian Carroll, now with D.C. United, is the other.
The winner will be determined through balloting of Division I coaches who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), the official voting body of the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. Three finalists will be announced at the NCAA Men's College Cup, to be held the second weekend in December in Columbus, Ohio. Those finalists will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club on Friday, Jan. 9, 2004, for a news conference announcing the winner. A banquet that evening will include the formal presentation of the prestigious crystal soccer ball trophy to the winner.
Hesmer, a native of Wilson, N.C., has been the captain of the Demon Deacons squad the last two years. He was a preseason Soccer America All-American. A three-time All-ACC selection, Hesmer is Wake Forest's career leader in shutouts and goals against average.
This year, he named to the Wake Forest adidas Classic All-Tournament Team and ranked 28th nationally in goals against average (0.77). He recorded seven shutouts, including ones against Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia Tech. He was a CoSIDA Academic All-District III selection.
White, a native of Lansdowne, Pa., was named this week as the 2003 ACC Player of the Year. He is the only player in Wake Forest history to be named to the All-ACC first team three times. During the ACC Tournament quarterfinal game, White had one goal and two assists to become the school's second all-time leading scorer with 93 points (37 goals and 19 assists).
White has been playing with a broken cheekbone since September 14. He has eight goals and five assists for 21 points to his credit in just 13 games. He was chosen as the College Soccer News National Player of the Week and was selected to the Wake Forest adidas Classic All-Tournament Team.
The other 13 semifinalists are Ryan Cochrane (Jr., D, Santa Clara/Portland, Ore.), Cesar Cuellar (Sr., F, Connecticut/Santa Cruz, Bolivia), Ned Grabavoy (Jr., F, Indiana/New Lenox, Ill.), Adolfo Gregorio (Sr., M, UCLA/Hillmar, Calif.), Sumed Ibrahim (Sr., M, Maryland/Tamale, Ghana), C.J. Klaas (Jr., M, Washington/Cherry Valley, Ill.), Aaron Lopez (Jr., D/M, UCLA/Santa Barbara, Calif.), Chad Marshall (So., D, Stanford/Riverside, Calif.), Guy Melamed (Jr., D, Boston College/Nofit, Israel), Joseph Ngwenya (Sr., F, Coastal Carolina/Bulawayo, Zimbabwe), Abe Thompson (Jr., F, Maryland/Fairfax Station, Va.), David Wagenfuhr (Sr., M, Creighton/Colorado Springs, Colo.), Chris Wingert (Sr., M, St. John's/Babylon, N.Y.).