The University of Akron Athletics
UA's Bunbury Wins Hermann Trophy Award
January 09 | Men's Soccer
University of Akron men's soccer star Teal Bunbury was awarded the 2009 Hermann Trophy Friday night at the Missouri Athletic Club.
The award is considered the most prestigious honor in intercollegiate soccer and is the official National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Player of the Year award for Division I competition. The first runner-up was Harvard senior forward Andre Akpan, followed by Wake Forest junior midfielder Corben Bone.
"It feels amazing to be honored with his incredible award," Bunbury said. "I have to give all the credit to my teammates and our coaching staff because I wouldn't have been able to accomplish this without them.
"I also want to thank the University of Akron administration and our fans because they also played a huge role. I'm blessed to be able to play the game that I love and this is a special night for me."
Bunbury is just the third sophomore ever to win the award and
the first Akron player to do so in the program's heralded 54-year
history. He also represents the second UA finalist in as many years
as current Major League Soccer star Steve Zakuani was the first
runner-up for the signature crystal ball trophy in 2008.
"It is a tremendous honor for Teal and certainly for our program,"
said UA head coach Caleb Porter. "We
accomplished a lot this year and this is icing on the cake. It is
really a credit to how hard Teal has worked because I don't think I
have had a player work harder to get better than him.
"As a freshman, he came off the bench and scored six goals. This
year, he stepped up and scored 17 goals, was the conference player
of the year, an All-American and now has earned the Hermann
Trophy."
Bunbury, who was named to the All-America First Team by the NSCAA
in 2009, was the most dangerous striker in the nation for the
country's top-ranked attacking unit. Of his nation-leading 17 goals
scored, five were game-winners. Moreover, four of his five assists
on the campaign set up game-winning goals.
In all, the native of Prior Lake, Minn., recorded at least one point 16 times in 25 games and scored multiple goals in four contests. Bunbury enjoyed an incredible run from late September to early November, scoring 14 goals in a 12-game span, including game-winners against Florida Atlantic, Virginia Tech, Buffalo and Penn State.
For his accomplishments, Bunbury was also named Player of the
Year by Soccer America, Goal.com and the
Mid-American Conference.
The Zips (23-1-1) matched the longest single-season, win streak in
NCAA history in 2009 and advanced to the national championship game
for the first time in 23 years. On top of that, UA's shutout total
(19) was the second-best mark in NCAA history while its
goals-against-average (0.27) and shutout percentage (.760) were
third-best all-time.
Bunbury recently signed a professional contract with Generation
adidas and will forgo the final two years of eligibility to enter
the 2010 MLS Super Draft, which will be held in Philadelphia, Pa.,
on Jan. 14. Live Coverage will be provided by ESPN2, starting at 2
p.m. (EST).
The Missouri Athletic Club has been presenting college soccer's players of the year awards since 1986. The MAC was established in 1903 as an athletic, dining and social club. It has a "Platinum Club of America" status, which is awarded to the top private clubs in the country.
Based in Kansas City, Kan., the NSCAA is the largest coaches' organization in the United States. Since its founding in 1941, it has grown to include more than 26,000 members who coach both genders at all levels of the sport. In addition to a national rankings program for colleges and high schools, NSCAA offers an extensive recognition program that presents nearly 10,000 individual awards every year. It fulfills its mission of coaching education through a nationwide program of clinics and week-long courses, teaching more than 4,000 soccer coaches each year.
An exhibition dedicated to the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy featuring all former recipients of both the MAC and Hermann trophies, the current winners, a replica of the Irish crystal trophy and the original Hermann Trophy is on display at the National Soccer Museum in Oneonta, N.Y. Additional information about the National Soccer Hall of Fame can be found at www.soccerhall.org.
