Penn State striker Christie Welsh was awarded the Hermann Award as college women’s soccer’s best payer on Tuesday in University Park, Pa. The junior, a two-time first-team All-American and three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, is the 14th recipient of the award after finishing second to Notre Dame’s Anne Makinen in 2000. North Carolina winger Jena Kluegel, Santa Clara midfielder Aly Wagner and Florida striker Abby Wambach also were finalists. Welsh scored 25 goals with 18 assists in 26 games this season, leading Penn State to a 21-4-1 record, a quarterfinal berth in the NCAA tournament and a fourth successive Big Ten Conference title. She owns the conference records for career goals (69), assists (39), points (177) and gamewinning goals (22). Welsh also is among 15 finalists for the Missouri Athletic Club player-of-the-year honor, which also will be announced this month. The Soccer America MVPs and player-of-the-year selections will be unveiled in January. HERMANN AWARD Winners 1988 — Michelle Akers, Central Florida 1989 — Shannon Higgins, North Carolina 1990 — April Kater, Massachusetts 1991 — Kristine Lilly, North Carolina 1992 — Mia Hamm, North Carolina 1993 — Mia Hamm, North Carolina 1994 — Tisha Venturini, North Carolina 1995 — Shannon MacMillan, Portland 1996 — Cindy Daws, Notre Dame 1997 — Cindy Parlow, North Carolina 1998 — Cindy Parlow, North Carolina 1999 — Mandy Clemens, Santa Clara 2000 — Anne Makinen, Notre Dame 2001 — Christie Welsh, Penn State