Oct. 29, 2001
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Santa Clara University women's soccer players and San Jose natives Danielle Slaton and Aly Wagner were named candidates for the 11th annual Missouri Athletic Club's Collegiate Player of the Year Award, as announced by the Missouri Athletic Club Sports Foundation.
The award is the official National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas award for Division I players. The winner will be announced in December, and presented with the award on January 11, 2002 in St. Louis. The winner will also be honored at the 2002 NSCAA Convention, to be held in Philadelphia, January 16-20. Former Bronco standout Mandy Clemens won the award in 1999.
The Bronco pair are among four players who were also selected to last year's ballot. Slaton finished fourth while Wagner placed fifth in the final tally. Penn State's Christie Welsh and UCLA's Mary-Frances Monroe have also been nominated for a second straight season.
The remaining 11 candidates for this year's award are: Meghan Anderson and Christine Latham of Nebraska, Abby Wambach of Florida, Aleisha Cramer of BYU, North Carolina's Danielle Borgman and Jena Kluegel, Hope Solo of Washington, Lindsay Brown of Clemson, Lori Lindsey of Virginia, Notre Dame's Vanessa Pruzinsky and California's Laura Schott.
Slaton and Wagner, both named pre-season All-Americans, are also semifinalists for the 2001 Hermann Trophy. Wagner leads the country in assists, averaging 1.00 per game while ranking eighth in goals per game, with a 0.93 mark. It averages to place her second nationally in points per game with a 2.86 average. Slaton leads a Bronco defense that is also ranked, ninth with a 0.57 goals-against average. The team has only allowed two goals in the run of play all season.
The Broncos conclude league action this weekend with a highly-anticipated match against 10th-ranked Portland on Friday. That contest will begin at Buck Shaw Stadium at 7:30 p.m. The league title is still up for grabs as SCU, San Diego and Portland each only have one loss in conference play, but history is on Portland and Santa Clara's sides as they are the only two schools to ever bring home a WCC Championship. Santa Clara concludes the weekend that Sunday, hosting No. 27 San Diego for a 1 p.m. match at Buck Shaw.