Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Conor O'Brien One of 15 on Hermann Trophy Ballot
12/2/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Dec. 2, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell senior Conor O'Brien (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./St. Anthony's), who just completed one of the finest soccer careers in program history, is one of 15 Division I student-athletes on the ballot for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, presented to the college soccer player of the year. Voting is being conducted by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) until Dec. 7. On Dec. 11 the top three male and female vote-getters will be revealed, and the winners will be announced on Jan. 8, 2010, at a news conference at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
In August O'Brien was one of 38 players named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List, and a panel of coaches pared that list down to 15, where voting is now taking place among all NSCAA-member coaches.
The final 15 is a "Who's Who" of elite players from the top programs across the country. Joining O'Brien on the ballot are Harvard's Andre Akpan, Akron's Anthony Ampaipitakwong, Stanford's Bobby Warshaw, Louisville's Collin Rolfe, Wake Forest's Corben Bone, Oregon State's Danny Mwanga, Drake's Garrett Webb, Wake Forest's Ike Opara, UCLA's Kyle Nakazawa, Monmouth's Ryan Kinne, Akron's Teal Bunbury, Connecticut's Toni Stahl, Virginia's Tony Tchani and North Carolina's Zach Lloyd.
O'Brien this season became only the fourth player in Patriot League history to repeat as the league's Offensive Player of the Year. He was also a First Team All-Patriot League selection after leading the league in goals (11), assists (9) and points (31). More importantly, he co-captained the Bison to a school-record 17 wins, a Patriot League championship and an NCAA Tournament first-round win over Princeton.
It was O'Brien's third All-Patriot League certificate, as he was also a first-team selection in 2008 and a second-team pick as a sophomore in 2007. He enters this weekend's Patriot League Tournament leading the conference in goals (10), assists (8) and points (28). O'Brien had a point in 17 of the team's 23 games this season, and in 22 of 28 matches dating back to the end of the 2008 season. Seven of his 11 goals were game-winners, the most dramatic of which was his golden goal against Lafayette in the Patriot League Tournament semfinals.
O'Brien won the Jim Lennox Offensive Most Valuable Player Award at the Mayor's Cup early in the season. Bucknell won that tournament with two 1-0 wins over Hartwick and Syracuse, and O'Brien scored both goals. That was part of his school-record 11-game points streak.
O'Brien wrapped up a brilliant career ranked second on Bucknell's career list for assists (25), sixth in points (77) and ninth in goals (26). He is the highest scoring Bison player in the last 20 years.
