UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State women's soccer senior forward Maya Hayes (West Orange, N.J.) and junior defender Whitney Church (Ashburn, Va.) have been named to the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List for the 2013 season, which was announced Tuesday (Aug. 20) afternoon.
The MAC Hermann Trophy is collegiate soccer's most prestigious award presented annually to one male and one female athlete. The winners will be announced Friday, Jan. 10, 2014 at the trophy presentation banquet at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. Christie Welsh is the only Penn State athlete to win the award (2001).
This is Hayes' second consecutive year on the watch list and Church's first appearance. Hayes was a finalist for the award in 2011 and a semifinalist in 2012. Hayes and Church are joined by Illinois' Vanessa DiBernardo as Big Ten honorees for the award.
Hayes is a two-time NSCAA first team All-America selection and has earned back-to-back Big Ten Forward of the Year honors. She finished second on the team in goals (16) and points (38) in 2012, despite missing the first seven games of the season while participating in the U20 World Cup with the U.S. U20 National Team.
Church received NSCAA first team All-Great Lakes recognition and Big Ten Defender of the Year honors in 2012. She led the Nittany Lion defensive attack, starting all 27 contests and logging over 2,000 minutes.
No. 4 Penn State opens regular season play at home on Friday as the Lions match up against non-conference rival West Virginia at 7:30 p.m. in the Penn State Invitational. The Nittany Lions return to Jeffrey Field on Sunday at noon to host Hofstra as a part of the four-team tournament. PSU will play its first road match of the season at No. 8 Virginia on Friday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m.