Roelfsema Named Semifinalist For Hermann Trophy
5/4/2021 3:03:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Owl Defender Among 15 Women's Semifinalists For Soccer Player of the Year
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rice senior defender Mijke Roelfsema has been named one of the 15 national women's semifinalists for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy, presented annually to the top college soccer players of the year, the United Soccer Coaches Association and Missouri Athletic Club announced Tuesday (May 4) - the eve of the Owls' appearance in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament.
The MAC Hermann Trophy, presented by World Wide Technology, is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year. This year's award was pushed back to accommodate the seasons affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Winners will be announced May 27 at the 2021 MAC Hermann Trophy Press Conference and Banquet taking place at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo.
Roelfsema has posted a sensational season that has helped lead the Rice soccer program to both a Conference USA Championship and the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. An international soccer standout originally from The Netherlands, Roelfsema was named the Defensive MVP of the Conference USA Tournament after earning the league's Defensive Player of the Year honors for the regular season. She has anchored a young Owl backline by starting all 17 games this season, amassing a streak of 36-straight starts dating back to her first year with the program in the fall of 2019 (when she transferred to Rice from Boston College). Roelfsema rarely comes off the field, playing 1,524 of the team's 1,567 minutes this season (97.3 percent of the team's total playing time).
By training daily under the direction of Rice head coach Brian Lee, Roelfsema's experience and leadership have helped the Owls post a historic season. The Rice backline has limited opposing teams to an austere 12.2 shots per game and has been a catalyst behind the squad's eleven shutouts, the most recent of which was a stunning 1-0 victory over No. 5 NCAA seed West Virginia last weekend. The top defender in C-USA has also come forward to provide an attacking presence for the No. 22 ranked Owls, recording three goals on 11 shots for a .273 shot-percentage. Roelfsema scored the game-tying goal in the 3-2 upset victory against nationally-ranked Texas A&M, and she has also scored goals against C-USA foes North Texas and Old Dominion.
The Rice Soccer program next meets longtime soccer power Virginia in the Sweet 16 on Wednesday (May 5) at 8 pm Central Time. The full 30-player list of women's and men's MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists is as follows:
2020-21 Women's MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalists
NAME CLASS POS SCHOOL HOMETOWN
Amirah Ali Sr F Rutgers Voorhees, N.J.
Emily Alvarado Sr K TCU El Paso, Texas
Malia Berkely Sr D Florida State Liberty Township, Ohio
Mikayla Colohan Sr M BYU Kaysville, Utah
Penelope Hocking Jr F USC Anaheim, Calif.
Jaelin Howell Jr M Florida State Lone Tree, Colo.
Jimena Lopez Sr D Texas A&M Mexico City, Mexico
Sydny Nasello Jr F South Florida Land O' Lakes, Fla.
Brianna Pinto So M North Carolina Durham, N.C.
Anna Podojil So F Arkansas Cincinnati, Ohio
Lucy Porter Sr M Hofstra Birmingham, England
Mijke Roelfsema Sr D Rice Den Haag, The Netherlands
Jazmeen Ryan Sr M TCU Norman, Okla.
Ally Schlegel So F Penn State Parker, Colo.
Delanie Sheehan Sr M UCLA Brentwood, Calif.
2020-21 Men's MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalists
NAME CLASS POS SCHOOL HOMETOWN
Gloire Amanda Jr F Oregon State Edmonton, Alb., Canada
Victor Bezerra So F Indiana Chicago, Ill.
Noel Caliskan So M Loyola Marymount Cologne, Germany
Vitor Dias Jr M Marshall Brasilia, Brazil
Bridger Hansen Sr D New Hampshire Cottonwood Heights, Utah
Kyle Hiebert Sr D Missouri State La Salle, Man., Canada
Noah Jensen Sr M Oakland Courtice, Ont., Canada
Thomas Judge Sr D James Madison Freehold, N.J.
Jasper Loeffelsend Sr D Pittsburgh Cologne, Germany
MD Myers So F High Point Delran, N.J.
Valentin Noel So F Pittsburgh Niort, France
Dante Polvara So M Georgetown Pleasantville, N.Y.
Zach Ryan Jr F Stanford Chatham, N.J.
Lukas Sunesson Jr F Marquette Taby, Sweden
Dylan Teves Jr M Washington Kailua, Hawaii
