The Missouri Athletic Club named the 15 candidates for its Player of the Year Award, which recognizes the nation’s top American-born or naturalized player.
The trophy, voted on by approximately 1,100 men’s coaches, will be awarded Jan. 10, 1997 at the MAC in St. Louis.
Three players from Virginia, winners of four of the last five NCAA championships, along with three players from last year’s runner-up Duke are among the nominees.
Senior midfielder Mike Fisher, sophomore defender Scott Vermillion, and junior midfielder Billy Walsh are the three Cavaliers in contention. The Duke contingent is comprised of sophomore midfielder Jay Heaps, sophomore forward Josh Henderson, and senior forward Brian Kelly.
South Carolina has a pair of nominees: junior midfielder Clint Mathis and sophomore defender Tony Soto.
The other nominees include senior goalkeeper Scott Coufal of Indiana, junior defender Leo Cullen of Maryland, junior midfielder Daniel Hernandez of SMU, senior defender Tahj Jakins of UCLA, senior midfielder Alberto Montoya of Santa Clara, junior midfielder Ross Paule of Creighton, and senior midfielder Temoc Suarez of North Carolina.
Virginia’s Fisher finished second to Matt McKeon of Saint Louis in last year’s voting.