Hawaii's Natasha Kai has been named as a semifinalist to the 2004 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. The 15 players are considered to be among the top players entering the 2004 college season and are the ones to watch for outstanding play this fall. The finalists will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Friday, Jan. 7, 2005, for the announcement of the winner at a press conference.
Click Here for the NSCAA release.
Kai, the two-time WAC Player of the Year, set a WAC record for goals in conference play her freshman year, and followed that up by leading the nation with 29 goals last season. She finished second in 2004 with 12, in an injury plagued season.
The 2004 WAC Preseason Player of the Year led the conference in shots with 130, 69 better than second place. There are six players on this year's list that were named last season. Kai is one of nine players on the list that were part of the U.S. Under-21 National Team that recently gave the United States its sixth consecutive Nordic Cup title.
Women's 2004 MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalists
Player, Position, Class, School, Hometown
Nicole Barnhart, Sr., Goalkeeper, Gilbertsville, Pa., Stanford
Lori Chalupny, Jr. Forward, St. Louis, Mo., North Carolina
Keeley Dowling, Sr., Defender, Carmel, Ind., Tennessee
Kristen Graczyk, Sr., Forward, Albuquerque, N.M., Connecticut
Lindsey Huie, Jr., Midfielder, Mission Viejo, Calif., Portland
Natasha Kai, Jr., Forward, Kahuku, Hawaii, Hawaii
Leads the Rainbow Wahine in scoring with 12 goals and five assists for 29 pointsis tops on the team in all three categoriesseven of her 12 goals this season have been game-winnersseeking her third consecutive WAC Player of the Year awardalready ranked in the career top five in three WAC statistical categories.
Carli Lloyd, Sr., Midfielder, Delran, N.J., Rutgers
Heather OReilly, So., Forward, East Brunswick, N.J., North Carolina
Leslie Osborne, Sr., Midfielder, Menomonee Falls, Wis., Santa Clara
Christine Sinclair, Jr., Forward, Burnaby, B.C., Portland
Melissa Tancredi, Sr., Defender, Ancaster, Ontario, Notre Dame
Lindsay Tarpley, Jr., Forward, Kalamazoo, Mich., North Carolina
Katie Thorlakson, Jr., Forward, Langley, B.C., Notre Dame
Brittany Timko, So., Midfielder, Coquitlam, B.C., Nebraska
Tiffany Weimer, Jr., Forward, North Haven, Conn., Penn State