Milwaukee's Laurie Bell Named Semifinalist For MAC Hermann Trophy

MILWAUKEE - Junior Laurie Bell of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's soccer team has been named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, the Missouri Athletic Club announced today.

Bell is one of 15 semifinalists chosen across the NCAA Division I level for the award, which honors the national player of the year in college soccer.

"This is exciting and special to hear that Laurie is a semifinalist for this award," Milwaukee head coach Kris Kelderman said. "First off, we find out that he was honored as a First-Team Academic All-American last week and now this, clearly defines how I have been describing Laurie all season. The kid is a winner in everything he does - whether it's on the field or in the classroom, he works extremely hard at what he does and it shows with awards and honors like this."

According to a search of the UWM men's soccer archives, this is the first time a UWM men's soccer player has been named as a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy.

Bell had a phenomenal campaign, finishing among the nation's best with his 13 goals and 30 points as the Panthers went 15-3-2 and advanced to the ninth NCAA Tournament in program history. He was named Horizon League Player of the Year, a first-team all-league selection for the second-straight season and also excels in the classroom, honored last week as a First-Team Academic All-American.

He scored goals in five-straight games on two occasions over the course of the season, while also netting back-to-back game-winners against Oakland and Northern Illinois at the end of October.

According to the NSCAA website, the process of selecting a winner begins at the start of the college soccer season when a list of potential nominees is compiled by a nominating committee. Near the end of the collegiate regular season, 15 players whom the committee considers the best in Division I soccer are announced as semifinalists for the award. That list is then voted on through an online voting process by men's and women's Division I soccer coaches whose teams are current NSCAA College Services members.

In early December, the top three vote-getters for both the men's and women's trophy are announced as finalists for the award. These six individuals are invited to an annual banquet held at the Missouri Athletic Club of St. Louis.

The MAC Hermann Trophy is the highest individual intercollegiate award presented annually during a January banquet at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. That evening, the winners of the two awards are announced and receive a 10 pound crystal replica soccer ball made by Tyrone Crystal of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

**Release courtesy of Chris Zills, Milwaukee Athletics