Becky Edwards, Amanda DaCosta Named To MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List

The Seminoles are one of 13 schools with multiple players on the 2008 Watch List.

8/20/08

Mission, Kan. – Florida State defender Becky Edwards and midfielder Amanda DaCosta were named to the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List as announced by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) on Tuesday, August 19. The Seminole duo is among 47 student-athletes on this year’s watch list including eight from the ACC to lead all conferences. The MAC Hermann Trophy is presented to the nation’s top collegiate player on both the women’s and men’s side.



“This is a great honor for two outstanding student-athletes,” explained head coach Mark Krikorian. “It’s a sign of respect from folks out there that Florida State has quality players and that these student-athletes are playing at an elite level.”



Edwards and DaCosta join a growing list of Seminole greats that have been named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List over the years. Florida State has had a student-athlete named to the watch list every year since 2004, while this year marked the second time in school history that two student-athletes were named to the preseason list. In 2004, Leah Gallegos became the first Seminole stand out to make the list. She was then followed by Kelly Rowland (2005), Selin Kuralay (2006), India Trotter (2006) and Sarah Wagenfuhr (2007).



“Having two individuals on this year’s list is awesome for our program and great for Florida State,” explained Edwards. “I hope we continue to build upon that.”



Last year, Mami Yamaguchi became the first Seminole player to claim the top individual honor in women’s soccer. She was named winner of the Hermann Trophy after leading the country in points (66), while finishing second in goals (24) and assists (18). Yamaguchi was a big part of Florida State’s run to the 2007 National Championship game. The Tokyo, Japan native also made school history becoming the first FSU player to be named a finalist for the Hermann Trophy.



Edwards is back for her third season at Florida State. She has played an integral role in the success of the Seminole defense for the last two years helping FSU post a combined 26 shutouts and a 0.80 goals against average. Edwards has started in 33 consecutive games and 52 in her career and was just one of six Seminole student-athletes to play all 27 games in 2007. Last year, she received fourth team All-American and first team Academic All-District accolades. The Downingtown, Pa., native closed out her sophomore campaign with nine points on three goals and three assists. Edwards was recently named to the final roster of the United States U-20 squad that will compete for the gold medal at the FIFA Youth World Cup in Chile later this year.



“I think it’s very cool to be considered along the same lines as Mami (Yamaguchi), who won the award last year, as well as some of the other top athletes in nation,” added Edwards. “Without Coach (Krikorian) and my teammates, this wouldn’t be possible.”



DaCosta became part of school history in her first season at Florida State as she was named National Freshman of the Year by Soccer Buzz. She also added second team All-American, Freshman All-American, second team All-ACC and Freshman All-ACC accolades to her resume in 2007. DaCosta started every game as a freshman and finished the season ranked third on the team with 21 points, third in assists with nine and fourth in goals with six. She ranked in a tie for seventh in the ACC in assists per game, while her nine assists sit second all-time among Seminole freshmen. DaCosta helped the Seminoles to their first trip to the national title game notching the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory over Notre Dame in the 2007 College Cup.



“So many great players have won it (the Hermann Trophy) and to have my name associated with this award is a pretty cool feeling,” said DaCosta. “Just to be recognized for the award is amazing. It makes me feel good that the hard work I am putting in is being noticed.”



Considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer, the recipients of the MAC Hermann Trophy are selected by Division I coaches who are current members of the NSCAA. A list of 15 semifinalists is selected by a coaches committee in November, with three finalists announced in early December. The three finalists will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo., for a news conference on January 9, 2009, where the winner will be announced, with a presentation banquet following.