By: Cat Martin, Contributing Writer
The Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy is among the most prestigious awards in collegiate athletics and is given to the most valuable player in collegiate soccer. You can imagine Matthew Aurednik’s excitement when he learned that he was one of 30 nominees contending for this award. The junior Wofford Soccer player has helped to build up quite a reputation for his team.
Through the beginning of his 2014 sophomore season, Aurednik ranked top three in the nation for scoring goals. By mid-October, he already earned 10 goals in only 12 games, a high ratio for collegiate soccer.
On being nominated, Aurednik tells the Old Gold and Black, “It was super encouraging for me… I was kind of surprised… if you look at the list for the trophy, it’s all of these players from top ranked teams…. and how did they pick me? I feel like it’s a blessing from God as well as an opportunity to work for Him.”
The winner of this award will be partially determined through performance on the field during the current season. Keeping that thought out of mind while playing is not an easy task, though Aurednik has a strategy for coping.
“You really just have to humble yourself… and my approach on it this season has been trying to forget about it entirely,” he says. “If I think about how I have to perform, that will mess with my head.”
So far, Aurednik proves to be true to his word. In the first four games played this season, he has already obtained an assist and three goals.
According to the MAC Hermann trophy website, if this performance endures, he will advance to the top 15 nominees for the Hermann award. This selection will be made towards the end of the regular season by NCAA Division 1 collegiate soccer coaches. During the month of November, college soccer fans will then be able to vote from those
15 for the top three semifinalists on the MAC Hermann trophy website. The winners are to be announced in January of 2016.
Aurednik emphasizes that his success has a lot to do with his teammates. He states that this award is “a huge testament to the team…I may be doing some of the work up front, but the rest of it has to come from them.”
Not only does this award put eyes on Aurednik, but it also shows what the team has to offer,especially since senior Connor Davis was chosen for the same award during the 2014 season. Two players nominated for the Hermann Trophy in two consecutive years displays the work and fight that this team has put into play.
After seeing his dedication on the field, the question of what he is like in daily life comes to mind. Teammate Will Norris expresses that “he has a really strong work ethic on and off the field. He cares about everything he does, whether its school or athletics. He always puts a lot of heart into it.”