University of Connecticut Athletics
Moloi, James Named To Hermann Trophy Watch List
8/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
STORRS, Conn. (August 24) - Connecticut men’s soccer players Mpho Moloi (Soweto, South Africa) and Julius James (Maloney Gardens, Trinidad) are two of 25 players from around the nation named candidates for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, the most prestigious individual honor in intercollegiate soccer. The list was compiled by a coaching panel for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), which serves as the official selection body for the MAC's Hermann Trophy.
As a senior and three-year captain, Moloi will anchor the midfield during the 2005 campaign. He received First Team NSCAA/adidas All-New England and Second Team All-BIG EAST accolades in 2004 after starting in all 23 games for the Huskies. Moloi tallied five shots on the season, while dominating on the defensive end, helping the team to eight shutouts and limiting opponents to 0.83 goals against average.
James was named to the College Soccer News and Soccer America Freshman All-American teams in 2004 after starting in all 23 games for the Huskies in the backfield. He earned a spot on the NSCAA/adidas All-New England first team and was selected to the 2004 All-BIG EAST Second Team. James posted two goals on the season for four points. During the week of Oct. 18, James was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week by the conference office after playing a key role in the Huskies’ 173 minute shutout streak that week. He helped Connecticut hold Boston University (Oct. 12) and Rutgers (Oct. 16) to only seven shots in the 2-1 and 1-0 wins, respectively, and notched the game-winner in the 107th minute of UConn’s 1-0 double-overtime win against Rutgers.
The 25 players on the watch list are considered to be among the top players entering the 2005 season. A list of 15 semifinalists will be announced in November, with three finalists selected in early December. The winner will be announced at a dinner at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo., on Jan. 6, 2006. UConn is one of just four schools to have multiple players placed on the watch list, with Duke and UCLA earning two spots apiece and two-time defending national champion Indiana placing three members in the running.
The Huskies close out the preseason Saturday night with an exhibition game against 2004 national semifinalist Duke at 7:00 p.m. in Joseph J. Morrone Stadium. They will open the 2005 regular season Labor Day weekend with the UConn/adidas Classic and matches versus St. Peter’s and Hartwick at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
Player, Class, School, Hometown
Gerardo Alvarez, Jr., Northwestern, Aurora, Ill.
Medhi Ballouchy, Jr., Santa Clara, Casablanca, Morocco
Blake Camp, Sr., Duke, Danielsville, Ga.
Greg Dalby, Jr., Notre Dame, Poway, Calif.
Leandro de Oliveira, Sr., UAB, Bryan, Texas
John DiRaimondo, Jr., Saint Louis, St. Louis, Mo.
Jason Garey, Sr., Maryland, Gonzales, La.
Matt Groenwald, Sr., St. John’s, Mt. Prospect, Ill.
Patrick Ianni, Jr., UCLA, Lodi, Calif.
Julius James, So., Connecticut, Maloney Gardens, Trinidad
Scott Jones, Jr., UNC-Greensboro, Dallas, Texas
Sacha Kljestan, Jr., Seton Hall, Huntington Beach, Calif.
Mpho Moloi, Sr., Connecticut, Soweto, South Africa
Justin Moose, Sr., Wake Forest, Statesville, N.C.
Dayton O'Brien, Sr., Memphis, Memphis, Tenn.
Dominic Oduro, Sr., Virginia Commonwealth, Accra, Ghana
Randi Patterson, Jr., UNC-Greensboro, Hackensack, N.J.
Jacob Peterson, Jr., Indiana, Portage, Mich.
Brian Plotkin, Sr., Indiana, Lisle, Ill.
Tyler Rosenlund, So., UC Santa Barbara, Port Coquitlam, B.C.
Jeff Rowland, Sr., New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.M.
Nathan Sturgis, So., Clemson, St. Augustine, Fla.
Michael Videira, So., Duke, Milford, Mass.
Marvell Wynne, So., UCLA, Poway, Calif.
Jed Zayner, Jr., Indiana, Overland Park, Ill.
