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Greenville, S.C. – Furman men's soccer standout Diego Hernandez has been named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, it was announced by the United Soccer Coaches on Tuesday.
 
Hernandez, a junior from Mesquite, Texas, has guided the Paladins to one of the greatest seasons in school history while netting a team-high 10 goals and leading the Southern Conference with nine assists and 29 total points. After collecting SoCon Player of the Year honors and first team All-SoCon accolades en route to leading the Paladins to league regular season and tournament titles, the Paladins' captain led his team to an NCAA Division I Men's College Cup appearance for the first time in school history. 
 
After Furman received a first-round bye and No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Hernandez assisted on Trip Campbell's goal to power the Paladins to a 1-0 win over Western Michigan in second round play. He scored a goal in Furman's 3-3 draw against Hofstra in the Sweet Sixteen and converted his spot kick in the penalty shootout as the Paladins booked a spot in the quarterfinal round for the first time since 1999. This past weekend, Hernandez helped lead the Paladins to a 1-0 shutout at No. 8 seed Portland to secure Furman's first trip to the College Cup.
 
The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual honor in college soccer, annually awarded to the top male and female players in the country. 
 
The selection process is managed by the United Soccer Coaches. It begins with a watch list of 40 men and 40 women, which is then narrowed down to 15 semifinalists for each gender. After another round of voting by Division I coaches, three finalists are selected. The winners are announced at a celebratory banquet in St. Louis, where they receive a 10-pound crystal replica of a soccer ball.
 
Often referred to as college soccer's Heisman Trophy, the award is named in honor of Robert R. Hermann, a St. Louis businessman and a pioneer in American soccer. A founder of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and later a key figure in the North American Soccer League (NASL), Hermann established the trophy in 1967 to celebrate the top collegiate male player. A women's award was added in 1988 by the Missouri Athletic Club(MAC) and the modern award is a result of a 2002 merger between the original Hermann Trophy and the Missouri Athletic Club's own Player of the Year award, creating a unified and definitive honor for both the top men's and women's athlete.
 
Hernandez and the Paladins take on the Washington Huskies in the first of two national semifinal matches on Friday in Cary, N.C. Kickoff at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park is set for 6 p.m. on ESPNU with Saint Louis and No. 15 seed N.C. State scheduled to play the second semifinal match at approximately 8:30 p.m. All tickets are general admission and can be purchased at NCAA.com.
 
The winners of Friday's semifinal matches advance to the national championship match, which is set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on Monday, December 15, at First Horizon Stadium.
 
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