Greenville, S.C. – Furman men's soccer standouts Braden Dunham and Diego Hernandez were named to the United Soccer Coaches Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List, it was announced on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Hermann Trophy is presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club and is the nation's highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year as determined by voting of Division I head coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches. It is named in honor of the late Robert Hermann, the legendary St. Louis, Mo., businessman and soccer executive who founded the National Professional Soccer League, the first pro soccer league in the United States which became the North American Soccer League. He was inducted in the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.
 
Hernandez, a native of Mesquite, Texas, was a first team United Soccer Coaches All-American selection and MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist a year ago. On Tuesday, the midfielder was ranked as the No. 1 player in the nation in Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Top 100. Hernandez paced the Paladins in goals and assists a year ago en route to Southern Conference Player of the Year honors.
 
Dunham, who recently returned from leading the United States U-19 National Team to the finals of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship, earned Top Drawer Freshman Best XI honors a year ago. The 2025 SoCon Freshman of the Year scored seven goals from his centerback position and guided the Paladins to 10 clean sheets. He was tabbed as the No. 4 player in the country in this week's Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Top 100. 
 
The 2026 recipient will be announced January 8, 2027, in a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis, Mo.
 
Furman, ranked No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25, kicks off the 2026 season on Thursday at 8 p.m. when it travels to Historic Riggs Field in Clemson, S.C., to face the Clemson Tigers. Thursday's match will air live on the ACC Network and links for the live stream and live statistics can be accessed at FurmanPaladins.com.
 
 The Paladins are coming off a 16-2-5 record in 2025 that saw Furman capture the SoCon regular season and tournament titles in head coach Doug Allison's final season before advancing to the school's first NCAA College Cup. Under the leadership of first-year head coach Brandon Tucker, Furman returns 13 players with significant starting experience, including a pair of former SoCon Goalkeepers of the Year in Ivan Horvat and Aaron Salinas.
 
Clemson holds a 42-12-3 lead in the all-time series between the schools, but Thursday's season opener marks the first meeting between the Paladins and Tigers since 2019. Furman's last win in the series, which dates back to 1934, came in a 2-1 victory in Clemson during the 2013 campaign.
 
NOTE: The Paladins open the 2026 home schedule on Monday, August 24, at 6 p.m. when they host the UNCA Bulldogs on Seagraves Field at Stone Soccer Stadium. Furman will welcome back hall of fame coach Doug Allison for a pregame ceremony as the program unveils its NCAA College Cup banner and celebrates last season's historic run. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats for the 5:45 p.m. ceremony and admission is free.
 
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