Aug. 19, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The watch list for the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy was announced today and among the 47 top women's Division I soccer players were three Nittany Lions. Redshirt-senior Zoe Bouchelle, junior Alyssa Naeher and junior Katie Schoepfer were all named to the list. Penn State was one of only three schools to have three players named to the list. Included in that elite group was defending National Champions University of Southern California and the University of North Carolina.
These selections mark the ninth consecutive year that a Nittany Lion has been on the pre-season watch list for the nation's top player.
Bouchelle, a midfielder, returns for her senior season after scoring a pair of goals along with four assists in her junior campaign. She was named first team All-Region as well as first team All-Big Ten. She is one of only four seniors on the Penn State squad.
Naeher is one of the most decorated players returning for the Nittany Lions. She was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and first team All-America for her play in net. She is the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. U-20 World Cup team getting set to compete this fall. She only allowed 15 goals in 24 games last season recording a goals against average of 0.62.
Schopfer returns as the leading scorer from last season as she netted 15 goals and five assists. She was named a second team All-American as well as first team All-Big Ten. Schoepfer led the Big Ten in points (35) and goals (15) a season ago.
All three are vying to follow in the foot steps of Nittany Lion great Christie Welsh who won the Hermann Trophy in 2001 and was a finalist from 2000-02. Welsh is the only Nittany Lion ever to win the prestigious award but PSU has had three players finish as runners-up including Welsh (twice), Joanna Lohman (once) and Tiffany Weimer (twice).
The Nittany Lions will get their 2008 season under way this Saturday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. as they travel to the College of William & Mary.