SPORTS BRIEF: Men’s soccer standout honored as Hermann Trophy semifinalist

Sophomore soccer standout Andre Akpan has yet another accolade to add to his more than lengthy list of accomplishments. The Grand Prairie, Texas native was recently named one of 15 semifinalists for the prestigious Hermann Trophy.

The Hermann Trophy, which is given out by the Missouri Athletic Club, is awarded to the top Division I soccer player in the country, and has never before been presented to a Harvard athlete. Akpan—who led the Ivy League in points, scoring and assists this past season, as well as being ranked second nationally in scoring with a 2.06 points per game average—is also the only individual from the league to make the semifinalist list.

The other possible recipients for the Hermann Trophy hail from universities across the country, including two from Duke, the alma mater of Harvard’s head soccer coach, John Kerr. In 1986, while playing for the Blue Devils, Kerr himself received the award, as did Penn State’s Jim Stamatis, father of junior midfielder John Stamatis, in 1979.

The list of semifinalists for the Hermann Trophy will be narrowed down to only three athletes on Dec. 14, and the winner of the award will be announced at the Missouri Athletic Club’s banquet at the beginning of January.

—ALEXANDRA J. MIHALEK