NSCAA announces 1996 National High School Players of the Year

The NSCAA has announced that Meotis Erikson and Nino DaSilva have been named NSCAA/Umbro National High School Player of the Year for boys and girls.

DaSilva is the first two-time state player of the year from Illinois. During his three-year career at St. Violator High School in Arlington Heights, he talllied 135 goals. DaSilva, a powerful forward, has represented the U.S. national team as a youth player, and is considered a potential candidate for Project-40.

Erikson, a forward, is a three time state player of the year who notched 132 goals and 49 assists in her career t Kamiakin High School in Kennewick, Wash. A member of the U.S. U-16 national team, she has verbally committed to attend 1996 NCAA runner-up Notre Dame.

The two national winners came from the pool of NSCAA/Umbro State Players of the Year. Each state that followed NSCAA voting guidelines had one boy and one girl named to the list, which is compiled by high school coaches around the country. That panel then selected the National Players of the Year.