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Buchanan Finalist for MAC Hermann Trophy
December 11, 2015 05:09 PM | Women's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University women’s soccer junior defender Kadeisha Buchanan is one of three finalists for the 2015 Missouri Athletic Club’s (MAC) Hermann Trophy.
The award is college soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy and represents the highest level of individual achievement in the sport.
A native of Brampton, Ontario, Buchanan is the first finalist in the program’s 20-year history. Five different Mountaineers were previously semifinalists for the honor, including Buchanan and junior midfielder Ashley Lawrence this season.
“This honor is a testament to Kadeisha’s strive for greatness,” Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. “She not only pushes herself to be the best, but she also pushes her teammates to be their best, too. Her focus and hard work have placed her in a category of greatness, and it is a huge honor for her to be WVU’s first MAC Hermann Trophy finalist. I am so proud that Kadeisha’s efforts are being recognized. She is a great representation of the best in our college game.”
The other two women’s finalists are Penn State senior midfielder Raquel Rodriguez and Virginia senior defender Emily Sonnet.
Awarded to a female collegiate soccer student-athlete each season since 1988, Cat Reddick (North Carolina) is the only defender to win the trophy, as she was named the winner in 2003.
The MAC Hermann Trophy is the highest individual intercollegiate award administered by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), and is presented annually at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. This year’s trophy presentation and banquet will take place Friday, Jan. 8, 2016.
NCAA Division I coaches that are NSCAA College Services members voted for their top choices from the list of 15 men and 15 women named semifinalists in early December. Soccer fans were also encouraged to vote for their favorite player on the MAC’s website hosted by LockerDome. The six semifinalists were the top vote-getters from the combined NSCAA coaches and weighted fan votes.
Buchanan, a three-time NSCAA All-America and two-time first team honoree, anchored a Mountaineer back line that recorded 15 shutouts this season, a program record, and allowed a program-low 11 opponent goals. The three-time reigning Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Buchanan and the WVU defense also put together a program-record nine-match shutout streak this season (Aug. 28 – Sept. 25).
One of three team captains, she also tallied five points (1 G, 3 A) and scored the game-winning goal at No. 15 Ohio State on Sept. 11. In addition to today’s recognition, Buchanan, a three-time All-Big 12 First Team honoree, was named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team and the Big 12 All-Academic Second Team.
Buchanan helped the Mountaineers claim their fourth straight Big 12 Conference regular-season title this year. WVU advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, the second appearance in program history, and accumulated 19 victories, a program record. WVU was ranked in the top 10 nationally each week but two this year and hit a program-high No. 2 ranking twice.
Also a member of the Full Canadian Women’s National Team, Buchanan started all five of Canada’s matches at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She was named the tournament’s Best Young Player and earned a spot on the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 All-Star Team. She also was one of 10 players shortlisted for the 2015 Ballon d’Or Award as the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year.
Currently, Buchanan and Lawrence are competing with the Canadian Women’s National Team at the 2015 Torneio Internacional de Natal de Futebol Feminino in Brazil. The squad opened the tournament with a 3-0 win over Mexico on Wednesday, Dec. 9. The team will next face Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, Dec. 13, and Brazil on Wednesday, Dec. 16.
For more information about the history of the MAC Hermann Trophy and a list of past winners, visit the MAC Hermann Trophy page at NSCAA.com. For news and highlight reels from previous MAC Hermann presentations, visit www.machermanntrophy.org.
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