KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A national-best four Stanford women's soccer players were among the 56 players named to the 2023 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List on Thursday.
Maya Doms, who was named to the watch list a year ago, is joined by Jasmine Aikey, Elise Evans and Kennedy Wesley on this year's list. Stanford's four members are tied with Saint Louis University for the most for any program this season.
Joining the quartet from The Farm, four other Pac-12 players are also listed – Lilly Reale and Reilyn Turner of UCLA, and Kayla Duran and Simone Jackson of USC.
The Hermann Trophy, presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club, is the nation's highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year as determined by the voting of Division I coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches.
A Cardinal player has claimed three of the last six MAC Hermann trophies, with Andi Sullivan earning the award in 2017, followed by Catarina Macario becoming a back-to-back winner in 2018 and 2019. Kelley O'Hara became the first Stanford player to win the MAC Hermann Trophy at the conclusion of the 2009 season. O'Hara was followed by Christen Press (2010) and Teresa Noyola (2011) to bring Stanford's total to six winners.
Duke's Michelle Cooper earned the honor in 2022.
Aikey earned a spot on the All-Pac-12 second team and was a United Soccer Coaches All-Region first team pick a year ago. The native of Palo Alto, Calif. scored a team-best 10 goals and assisted on three more to post a team-high 23 points. Her 10 goals ranked eighth in the Pac-12 (first among freshmen) and 50th in the nation (fourth among freshmen).
Doms, a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-Region first team selection, earned second-team All-America honors from the organization a year ago after scoring four goals and assisting on five more to total 13 points.
Evans was voted 2022 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year before earning Top Drawer Soccer National Freshman of the Year honors. The United Soccer Coaches first team selection started 19 matches a season ago, scoring three goals – all of them game-winners.
Wesley was a second team All-Pac-12 selection after starting all 22 matches at center back a year ago. Anchoring the Stanford back line alongside Evans, Wesley helped Stanford post 12 shutouts and limit opponents to just 0.55 goals and 8.60 shots per game.
The 2023 Men's Hermann Trophy Watch List will be announced on Thursday, Aug. 24. Fifteen men's players and 15 women's players become Hermann Trophy semifinalists following completion of Division I All-America voting at the end of the fall season. On December 6th, the three women's finalists will be announced and on December 13th, the three men's finalists will be released.
The 2023 winner is revealed on Jan. 5, 2024, in a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo.
