For the first time in Patriots history, a former player is on the Herman Trophy pre-season list. Greer Barnes, who played for the Patriots 87' team for 5 years, and went on to play at West Virginia University was announced by the NSCAA as a player to watch this year. Greer is entering her senior year, and was voted an NSCAA All American last year.

When you look at some of the players on the list, it makes it even more remarkable, as there are a number of US National Team players on there.

It's a great moment for both Greer and the Patriots.

2008 Women's Hermann Trophy Watch List Announced
Returning finalist Lauren Cheney of UCLA and 2006 recipient Kerri Hanks of Notre Dame highlight 47 of the best women's Division I intercollegiate soccer players that comprise the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List for 2008.

Cheney was one of three finalists for the award in 2007 after leading UCLA to an outstanding season. A member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, she is joined on the list by North Carolina's Tobin Heath, a teammate in Beijing. The first sophomore to win the award, Hanks has the opportunity to become the fourth player to win the Hermann Trophy twice, bu t the first to achieve the feat in non-consecutive years. The others who won it – Mia Hamm, Cindy Parlow and Christine Sinclair – all did it in back-to-back fashion.

North Carolina is one of three teams that have three players on the list (including 2006 finalist Yael Averbuch). along with Penn State and reigning NCAA champion Southern Cal. Ten other schools have two players each on the list: Connecticut, Florida State, James Madison, Notre Dame, Portland, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, West Virginia and William and Mary.

Considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer, the recipients of the MAC's Hermann Trophy are selected by Division I head coaches who are current members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. A list of 15 semifinalists is selected by a coaches committee in November, with three finalists announced in early December. They will invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo., for a news conference on Jan. 9, 2009, where the winner will be announced, with a presentation banquet following.

2008 Women's Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List
 

2008 Women's Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List
Name                             Pos         Yr.          School                Hometown
Marisa Abegg                  D           Sr.        Stanford Lake     Oswego, Ore.
Kristin Arnold                   K          ]Sr.        Texas A&M          Centennial, Colo.
Yael Averbuch                 M           Sr.        North Carolina     Upper Montclair, N.J.
Greer Barnes                   D          Sr.       West Virginia        Rye, N.Y.
Brittany Bock                   F           Sr.        Notre Dame          Naperville, Ill.
Kiki Bosio                        F            Jr.         Santa Clara         Mission Viejo, Calif.
Zoe Bouchelle                 M           Sr.        Penn State          Cockeysville, Md.
Jenny Bradfisch               K           Jr.         Purdue                Carmel, Ind.
Lauren Cheney               F           Jr.          UCLA                   Indianapolis, Ind.
Amanda Cicchini             M           Sr.         West Virginia       Oakville, Ontario
Dani Collins                    M          Sr.         William and Mary  Cream Ridge, N.J.
Amanda DaCosta           M          So.       Florida State          Katonah, N.Y.
Gina DiMartino                F          Jr.         Boston College      Massapequa Park, N.Y.
Christina DiMartino         M         Sr.       UCLA                      Massapequa, N.Y.
Becky Edwards               D          Jr.       Florida State           Downingtown, Pa.
Michelle Enyeart             F           Jr.        Portland                 Hernet, Calif.
Kim Germain                   M          Sr.        James Madison        McLean, Va.
Kerri Hanks                     F          Sr.         Notre Dame           Allen Texas
Tobin Heath                    M         Jr.          North Carolina        Basking Ridge, N.J.
Lauren Hyde                  D          Jr.          Florida                    Carmel, Ind.
Jaimel Johnson              K           Sr.         Tennessee               Dayton, Ohio
Nikki Krzysik                   D          Sr.         Virginia                    Clifton, N.J.
Stephanie Labbe           K           Sr.          Connecticut            Stony Plain, Alberta
Katie Larkin                   F           Sr.          Brigham Young        Draper, Utah
Kelly Lawrence              D           Jr.          Indiana                   Chigwell, England
Stephanie Logterman   D            Sr.         Texas                      Austin, Texas
Edel Malone                  M           Sr.        Hofstra                       Ennis, Ireland
Nikki Marshall                D            Jr.         Colorado                 Mead, Colo.
Kasey Moore                 D           Jr.         Texas Mission           Viejo, Calif.
Alyssa Naeher               K           Jr.          Penn State               Seymour, Conn.
Ashley Nick                    M          Sr.          Southern Cal            Monrovia, Calif.
Casey Nogueira             F           Jr.          North Carolina            Raleigh, N.C.
Yolanda Odenyo            M          Sr.          Oklahoma State        Uppsala, Switzerland
Kelley O'Hara                 F           Jr.          Stanford                    Fayetteville, Ga.
Kristin Olsen                  K           Jr.         Southern Cal              Lake Forest, Calif.
Carrie Patterson            F           Jr.          Georgia                      Atlanta, Ga.
Lorraine Quinn               M          Sr.         Duke                          Farmingdale, N.Y.
Elli Reed                         D          So.         Portland                     Park City, Utah
Amy Rodriguez              F           Sr.         Southern Cal               Lake Forest, Calif.
Kylee Rossi                   F            Sr.         Tennessee                  Pennington, N.J.
Malorie Rutledge           M           Jr.          Louisiana State           Sharpsburg, Ga.
Katie Schoepfer             F           Jr.          Penn State                 Waterford, Conn.
Brittany Taylor               D           Sr.        Connecticut                 Campbell Hall, N.Y.
Cate Tisinger                 F           So.        James Madison             Clifton, Va.
Ingrid Wells                   M          So.        Georgetown                 Upper Montclair, N.J.
Claire Zimmeck             F            Sr.        William and Mary          Fairfax, Va.
Emily Zurrer                  D           Sr.        Illinois                          Vancouver, B.C.