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/ Women's Soccer
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/ Women's Soccer
Helena Sampaio, Brooklyn Courtnall Named Hermann Trophy Semifinalists
December 04, 2024 | Women's Soccer
LOS ANGELES – The 15 semifinalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy, college soccer's most prestigious award, were announced on Wednesday (Dec. 4) and USC's Brooklyn Courtnall and Helena Sampaio made the list.
USC is one of two schools to have two players on the list and it is the first time in program history that two Trojans have been semifinalists for the award. Counting Courtnall and Sampaio, USC players have been named semifinalists for the award 10 times, with Morgan Andrews in 2016 being the program's only finalist and Croix Bethune (2021, 2022) being the only player to make the list multiple times.
Three women's finalists will be named for the award on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy banquet will be held at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Jan. 3, 2025, to formally announce this year's winner. Fans are encouraged to vote for their favorite player. Go to machermanntrophy.org for the semifinal ballot.
Courtnall is coming off a senior season in which she anchored the USC backline, starting all 23 games at center back and leading all USC field players with 2,009 minutes played. Courtnall played a full 90+ minutes all but five times on the year and all but once in the last 14 games. She led the Trojans to 11 shutouts for the season and a 0.80 goals-against average. The USC defense held 17 of their 23 opponents under 10 shots and eight times held teams to five shots or less in a game. Courtnall served as the USC captain this season, leading the Trojans to a Big Ten title, the program's first ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and an appearance in the NCAA Quarterfinals. She was also named to the All-Big Ten first team and scored her first career goal in the Trojans' opening game of the NCAA Tournament.
Sampaio solidified herself as one of the top midfielders in the country during her senior season, earning Big Ten Midfielder of the Year honors along with All-Big Ten first team recognition. She was second on the team in points with 17, scoring five goals and leading the Trojans with seven assists. The Brazil native appeared in all 23 games for USC, with four of her goals being game-winners, including a last minute free kick goal from 25 yards out against Penn State during the regular season. Sampaio recorded points in three of USC's four postseason games en route to an NCAA Quarterfinal appearance for the Trojans, scoring goals against Sacramento State and Wisconsin, and providing an assist against Saint Louis.
Both Courtnall and Sampaio have been four-year contributors to the USC program, leading the Trojans to the postseason each season. Sampaio has appeared in 78 matches and made 58 starts since coming to USC, scoring 12 goals and notching 18 assists for a total of 42 points. She was also named to the All-Pacific Region and All-Pac-12 second teams last season.
Courtnall has been a starter at center back since day one at USC, starting 77 of the 78 matches she has appeared in since 2021. She has notched a total of 6,678 minutes played, with four assists and one goal. Courtnall earned All-Pac-12 honors each of the last three seasons and was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI in 2021 and the All-Pacific Region second team in 2022.
USC is one of two schools to have two players on the list and it is the first time in program history that two Trojans have been semifinalists for the award. Counting Courtnall and Sampaio, USC players have been named semifinalists for the award 10 times, with Morgan Andrews in 2016 being the program's only finalist and Croix Bethune (2021, 2022) being the only player to make the list multiple times.
Three women's finalists will be named for the award on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy banquet will be held at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Jan. 3, 2025, to formally announce this year's winner. Fans are encouraged to vote for their favorite player. Go to machermanntrophy.org for the semifinal ballot.
Courtnall is coming off a senior season in which she anchored the USC backline, starting all 23 games at center back and leading all USC field players with 2,009 minutes played. Courtnall played a full 90+ minutes all but five times on the year and all but once in the last 14 games. She led the Trojans to 11 shutouts for the season and a 0.80 goals-against average. The USC defense held 17 of their 23 opponents under 10 shots and eight times held teams to five shots or less in a game. Courtnall served as the USC captain this season, leading the Trojans to a Big Ten title, the program's first ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and an appearance in the NCAA Quarterfinals. She was also named to the All-Big Ten first team and scored her first career goal in the Trojans' opening game of the NCAA Tournament.
Sampaio solidified herself as one of the top midfielders in the country during her senior season, earning Big Ten Midfielder of the Year honors along with All-Big Ten first team recognition. She was second on the team in points with 17, scoring five goals and leading the Trojans with seven assists. The Brazil native appeared in all 23 games for USC, with four of her goals being game-winners, including a last minute free kick goal from 25 yards out against Penn State during the regular season. Sampaio recorded points in three of USC's four postseason games en route to an NCAA Quarterfinal appearance for the Trojans, scoring goals against Sacramento State and Wisconsin, and providing an assist against Saint Louis.
Both Courtnall and Sampaio have been four-year contributors to the USC program, leading the Trojans to the postseason each season. Sampaio has appeared in 78 matches and made 58 starts since coming to USC, scoring 12 goals and notching 18 assists for a total of 42 points. She was also named to the All-Pacific Region and All-Pac-12 second teams last season.
Courtnall has been a starter at center back since day one at USC, starting 77 of the 78 matches she has appeared in since 2021. She has notched a total of 6,678 minutes played, with four assists and one goal. Courtnall earned All-Pac-12 honors each of the last three seasons and was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI in 2021 and the All-Pacific Region second team in 2022.
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