Nikki Krzysik Named Hermann Trophy Semifinalist

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CHARLOTTESVILLE Virginia senior defender Nikki Krzysik was one of 15 players named semifinalists for the 2008 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy. The award, annually given to the top collegiate soccer player in the country, will be awarded on January 9.

Krzysik is a semifinalist for the first time in her career and the first Cavalier semifinalist since Sarah Huffman in 2005. This season she played every minute to anchor a Cavalier defense that posted nine shutouts and allowed just 5.1 shots per game. Offensively, she added three goals and three assists. Krzysik was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-ACC for the second consecutive season. Last year she was a first-team All-American.

The three finalists for the award will be announced on Friday, Dec. 12. They will be invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis for a news conference on Friday, Jan. 9, 2009, where the winner will be announced. A dinner and formal presentation of the award will follow the news conference that evening.