Oct. 2, 2000
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Junior Danielle Slaton and sophomore Aly Wagner were named finalists for the 10th annual Missouri Athletic Club's Collegiate Player of the Year Award, the Missouri Athletic Club Sports Foundation announced today.
The award is the official National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas award for Division I players. 1999 alumna Mandy Clemens won the award last season.
In addition to the selecting the 15 candidates for the award, coaches also identified five players to watch" during the season. Topping that list is Santa Clara's Veronica Zepeda.
The Player of the Year will be selected by a vote of NSCAA member Division I coaches and will be honored at an awards banquet at the Missouri Athletic Club on Friday, Jan. 5, 2001, and at the NSCAA convention later in January in Indianapolis.
Among the 15 candidates for the prestigious crystal soccer ball trophy are three players from Nebraska and the defending NCAA champion North Carolina. Repeat selections from the 1999 ballot are Anne Makinen of Notre Dame and Mary-Frances Monroe of Connecticut.
Olympic silver medalist Slaton--fresh from Sydney, Australia--landed at San Jose's International Airport around 2 p.m. yesterday afternoon and headed straight for Buck Shaw Stadium, arriving to the field just before halftime of the Broncos' match against Wake Forest. She immediately began warming up and played the entire second half in the Bronco defense, preserving Santa Clara's 4-1 win.
Wagner, last year's West Coast Conference Player of the Year, has one goal and four assists on the season.
Both Broncos were named preseason All-Americans and Hermann Trophy Finalists earlier in the year.
The 10th-ranked Broncos open conference play this weekend, hosting Gonzaga on Friday, Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Pepperdine on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 1p.m. Both matches will be played at Buck Shaw Stadium.
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