SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Record-setting Santa Clara University senior forward Erik Hurtado – the 2012 West Coast Conference Player of the Year – is among thirty-four of the nation's top men's college soccer players named a finalist for the 2012 Soccer News Net College Boot award, recognizing the men's college player of the year.

Cast your vote for the Soccer News Net College Boot player of the year

Hurtado led the WCC with 2.08 points per game, 0.83 goals, 0.42 assists per match and five total game-winning goals in conference play. He consistently ranked among the NCAA's top-10 in scoring this season. Hurtado is the first Bronco since Peter Lowry in 2007 to be voted WCC Player of the Year.

He will go down in the record books as one of the most accomplished goal scorers in Santa Clara history. He finishes an outstanding collegiate career ranked No. 3 all-time at SCU in goals (33) and career points (86). He also comes in at No. 9 all-time at SCU in assists (20). Hurtado - who helped the Broncos win the 2010 WCC Championship - enjoyed his best collegiate season this fall, ranking among the NCAA's top 5 in goals and top 10 in virtually every offensive category.

The editors of each of the sites in the Soccer News Net network nominated up to five local players for the award, each of which will be eligible for the regional player of the year award. The nominations included athletes playing at colleges within each site's coverage area, as well as athletes from the area playing collegiately elsewhere in the country. Nine additional at-large selections rounded out the nominations.

Fans from across the country will be able to vote for the top collegiate player. Voting will continue until December 22, and will be conducted on Big Apple Soccer (www.bigapplesoccer.com), Chicagoland Soccer News (www.chicagolandsoccernews.com), LA Soccer News (www.lasoccernews.com), New England Soccer News (www.newenglandsoccernews.com), Philly Soccer News (www.phillysoccernews.com) and Dallas Soccer News. (www.dallassoccernews.com) and DC Soccer News (www.dcsoccernews.com) which will officially launch later this year, but is conducting voting as an introduction to the site.

Online fan voting will account for 40% of the total toward the award. The remaining 60% of the vote will be cast by the Soccer News Net editorial staff.

The winner of the popular vote will receive the Soccer News Net Supporter's Choice Award.