Sophomore striker Victor Bezerra was named one of three Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy finalists Wednesday as IU men’s soccer earned several postseason awards.
The MAC Hermann trophy is given annually to college soccer’s best player. Bezerra, who was named a semifinalist for the award May 4th, is looking to become the third IU player to win the award since 2004, joining 2018 winner Andrew Gutman and current assistant coach and 2004 winner Danny O’Rourke.
University of Pittsburgh sophomore midfielder Valentin Noel and Oregon State University junior forward Gloire Amanda are the other two finalists for the award.
Bezerra has 12 goals and four assists on the season and has been on the scoresheet in all but two of IU’s 14 games this season.
Bezerra was also named to the United Soccer Coaches’ All-North Region first team alongside sophomore goalkeeper Roman Celentano and senior defender Spencer Glass.
Celentano is first in Division I soccer with a .909 save percentage and is third with a .345 goals against average, while Glass was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watchlist before the season and had five assists before being lost for the year with a broken leg.
Additionally, Celentano, sophomore defender Daniel Munie and sophomore forward Maouloune Goumballe were named to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week on Tuesday.
Celentano allowed just one goal during the week against Marquette University and Seton Hall University in NCAA Tournament action. Munie has helped IU hold opponents to just .93 goals per game in the tournament, and Goumballe had a game-winning goal against Marquette and an assist against Seton Hall.
Sophomore forward Ryan Wittenbrink was named an honorable mention for the team of the week after earning a goal and an assist in two games.
IU will play Pittsburgh at 8:30 p.m. Friday in Cary, North Carolina, with a trip to the national championship on the line.
