The 2008 Hermann Trophy Winner Is....

Junior forward O'Brian White. White had a great season with UConn and will be returning for his senior season. Kind of like last year's winner. White had a great season scoring 23 goal while making 7 assists. Most of us were dreaming about White joining the GA class. Had he, I'm sure he would have been a top three pick. However, he didn't, but the runner up for the award did. Virginia Tech's Patrick Nyarko came in second with last year's winner, Joseph Lapira, coming in third. Personally I think there were more deserving 3rd place players, but they didn't ask me to vote.

The history of the MAC Hermann Trophy is littered with players who didn't go onto professional fame and fortune. Danny O'Rourke, Sasha Victorine, Jay Heaps and Alecko Eskandarian are probably the best known and most successful in recent years. Looking back a little further you do see Captain America, Claudio Reyna, and LA Galaxy destroyer, Alexi Lalas. The New Jersey Iron Man, Tony Meola, and John Harkes round out the list of players who most of us know.

We'll have to wait another year to see what come of O'Brien Whites' professional career. I'm excited to see him join the pro ranks. This year I'm excited to see Nyarko join MLS. I'm not sure we've seen a college forward like this join the league. I think the runner up could be our 2008 #1 selection.

The latest on the third placed player, Joe Lapira, is that he is taking his Irish passport to Europe and looking for a club. He is not playing in the combine this weekend. I wish him good louk. I hope the Colorado Rapids do not fall prey to the Notre Dame Irish curse and draft Lapira knowing he isn't going to play in MLS anytime soon. They certainly fell in a hole with Fighting Irishman Dalby last year.

The combine is kicking off in Florida right about now. Come back later today to see what I can dig up about the action down there.