Rising seniors Kristen McNabb (Montville, N.J.) and Alexis Shaffer (Cary, N.C.) of the Virginia women’s soccer team have been named to the preseason watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy, the organization announced through the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) on Wednesday (July 20).
The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer presented annually to the outstanding male and female players of the year. The winners will be announced Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, during the trophy presentation at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
The lists are compiled by the members of the NSCAA Men’s and Women’s NCAA Division I All-America Committees, based on analysis of returning All-America and All-Region players.
Morgan Brian (St. Simon’s, Ga.) won the award in 2013 and 2014, while Emily Sonnett (Marietta, Ga.) was a finalist for the award in 2015.
McNabb and Shaffer helped lead the Cavaliers to the ACC regular-season title last season with a 9-1-0 record and the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament with a 19-1-3 record on the season. The pair are part of a squad that returns eight players who started double-digit games a year ago.
A second-team All-Region selection by the NSCAA last season, McNabb started all 23 games on the Cavalier back line. She helped Virginia post 15 shutouts in 2015 while adding five goals and an assist. McNabb’s five goals included the game-winner against Clemson in the ACC Championships semifinal match, a match that saw the defender score two goals. Her lone assist came on the game-winning goal against Delaware.
Shaffer earned second-team All-ACC and All-Region honors last season after starting all 23 games in the midfield for the Cavaliers. She scored 14 goals to tie for the team-lead with All-American Makenzy Doniak (Chino Hills, Calif.) and added eight assists on the season. Of her goals, Shaffer delivered the game-winner in five matches and provided the assist on the game-winning goal in two matches.
Three of Shaffer’s biggest goals last season were game-winners against No. 19 Duke, who would go on to play for the national title, defending national champion and then No. 1 Florida State and at Wake Forest. All three games were 1-0 victories for Virginia.
The Cavaliers will host the first home action of the season with an exhibition game against West Virginia on August 14 before officially opening the 2016 campaign on the road at Liberty on August 19.
Virginia soccer season tickets are on sale and offer the best value. All fans can order season tickets online, in person or by telephone. To purchase tickets online, visit VirginiaSports.com/Tickets. In-person purchases can be made at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Telephone purchases can be made by calling 1-800-542-UVA1 (8821) or locally at 434-924-UVA1 (8821).
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Chris Graham
