College Update: UCLA's Kyle Nakazawa on Hermann Trophy Watch List & More
Kyle Nakazawa
Photo courtesy UCLA
Palos Verdes Estates' Kyle Nakazawa, a junior midfielder with UCLA who was last year's team MVP, was one of 50 college players selected for the Hermann Trophy watch list - equivalent to college football's Heisman Trophy.
From the (edited) UCLA press release:
Nakazawa has started every game of his collegiate career (45 starts) and compiled a total of seven goals and 15 assists in two seasons. In 2007, he led the Bruins with seven assists and was second on the team in scoring with 13 points and two game-winning goals, both of which were scored in the final two minutes of the game, at Washington and against New Mexico in the NCAA first round. Nakazawa was a second-team All-Pac-10 selection in 2007 and a Soccer America All-Freshman honoree in 2006. The former youth international totaled 21 career caps with the U.S. Under-17 National Team and was a starter on the U-17 team that placed fifth at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championships.
A list of 15 semifinalists is selected by a coaches committee in November, three finalists are announced in early December and the winner in January.
Nakazawa and the Bruins kick off the season 7 p.m. Aug. 29 against Maryland at Home Depot Center live on Fox Soccer Channel.
The others on the watch list:
Andre Akpan - Harvard
Calum Angus - Saint Louis
Cody Arnoux - Wake Forest
Alejandro Bedoya - Boston College
Rhett Bernstein - Brown
Joshua Boateng - Liberty
Graciano Brito - Quinnipiac
Jovan Bubonja - Illinois-Chicago
Nick Cardenas - San Diego State
Chris Clements - Tulsa
Sam Cronin - Wake Forest
Byron Dacy - Creighton
Chris DeAbreau - St. Peter's
Kyle Evans - Lehigh
Michael Ferguson - Loyola-Chicago
Stefan Frei - California
Michael Fucito - Harvard
Omar Gonzalez - Maryland
Andrei Gotsmanov - Creighton
Mike Grella - Duke
George John - Washington
Cameron Keith - Binghamton
Yan Klukowski - Central Connecticut State
Milos Kocic - Loyola (Md.)
Stephen McCarthy - Santa Clara
Tennant McVea - Loyola (Md.)
Patrick Murray - Furman
Kevon Neaves - South Florida
Conor O'Brien - Bucknell
John Pardini - Fordham
Liam Parrington - Hartwick
Kyle Patterson - Saint Louis
Brad Peters - Eastern Illinois
Chris Pontius - UC-Santa Barbara
Akeem Priestley - Connecticut
Daniel Revivo - Winthrop
Barry Rice - Kentucky
Brad Ring - Indiana
Toni Stahl - Connecticut
Eric Sweetin - Saint Louis
Alex Torda - Dayton
Marcus Tracy - Wake Forest
David Tyrie - Central Connecticut State
Collen Warner - Portland
O'Brian White - Connecticut
Kareem Yearwood - College of Charleston
Steve Zakuani - Akron
In other local college news, the Cal State Dominguez Hills men's and women's teams have both been picked to finish second in their respective preseason polls by CCAA Conference head coaches.
Both were selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's Top 25 preseason poll last week.
Both Toro teams kick off the 2008 season on Aug. 28 at home.
About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
Leave a comment