Dias Named MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Marshall men's soccer junior midfielder Vitor Dias was named a Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy semifinalist, the organization announced Tuesday.

The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year. The award this year was pushed back to accommodate the seasons that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The winners will be announced May 27 at the 2021 MAC Hermann Trophy Press Conference and Banquet taking place at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.

Dias leads the 10th-ranked Herd and Conference USA in scoring. He is also the first player in program history to be named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy.

"Very happy for Vitor to be nominated," Herd head coach Chris Grassie said. "After such a tough year dealing with COVID, and him getting stuck in Brazil for nine months, then having to spend three weeks in Mexico, all before starting this season, it's truly a great accomplishment. He's a great player and is really fun to watch. He also always does his defensive work, which sometimes goes unnoticed as his attacking play is so eye-catching. Very happy for another program first, and let's hope he wins the award as he's 100-percent deserving."

The junior has stepped up big time for Marshall in his second season in Huntington. The Brasilia, Brazil native has six goals, four assists and 16 points. Dias netted three goals and three assists in 2019. In the 2021 spring season, Dias started off hot with two goals and two assists against WVU Tech, career-highs in both categories. He was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. He continued in the very next match with the game-winner against East Tennessee State.

Dias scored Marshall's lone goal in a loss at Akron before lighting up the net for two more goals in the next match at South Carolina. He assisted on the game-winner at then No. 11 Kentucky. Dias also had the assist on Marshall's first goal against Fordham in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Dias made a great move around a Rams' defender that left him on the grass, then found Milo Yosef trailing for the score.

By the end of the regular season, the league noticed the talent of Dias as he was named C-USA Player of the Year, Offensive MVP, Co-Midfielder of the Year and First Team All-Conference. Dias was not selected for any postseason awards in 2019. His speed, smooth moves and excellent ball-handling skills make him a terror in the open field or even in tight spaces.

Dias does not take shots very often as he is tied for fifth-most on the team with 20. However, he makes it count when he does take a shot as he has 12 on goal, third-best on the team, and of course six for scores.

The 10th-ranked Thundering Herd takes on No. 1 Clemson in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The match is set for Thursday, May 6 at 3 p.m., from WakeMed Field #2 in Cary, N.C.

2020-21 Men's MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalists

NAME	CLASS	POS	SCHOOL	HOMETOWN
Gloire Amanda	Jr	F	Oregon State	Edmonton, Alb., Canada
Victor Bezerra	So	F	Indiana	Chicago, Ill.
Noel Caliskan	So	M	Loyola Marymount	Cologne, Germany
*Vitor Dias*	Jr	M	*Marshall*	*Brasilia, Brazil*
Bridger Hansen	Sr	D	New Hampshire	Cottonwood Heights, Utah
Kyle Hiebert	Sr	D	Missouri State	La Salle, Man., Canada
Noah Jensen	Sr	M	Oakland	Courtice, Ont., Canada
Thomas Judge	Sr	D	James Madison	Freehold, N.J.
Jasper Loeffelsend	Sr	D	Pittsburgh	Cologne, Germany
MD Myers	So	F	High Point	Delran, N.J.
Valentin Noel	So	F	Pittsburgh	Niort, France
Dante Polvara	So	M	Georgetown	Pleasantville, N.Y.
Zach Ryan	Jr	F	Stanford	Chatham, N.J.
Lukas Sunesson	Jr	F	Marquette	Taby, Sweden
Dylan Teves	Jr	M	Washington	Kailua, Hawaii

2020-21 Women's MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalists

NAME	CLASS	POS	SCHOOL	HOMETOWN
Amirah Ali	Sr	F	Rutgers	Voorhees, N.J.
Emily Alvarado	Sr	K	TCU	El Paso, Texas
Malia Berkely	Sr	D	Florida State	Liberty Township, Ohio
Mikayla Colohan	Sr	M	BYU	Kaysville, Utah
Penelope Hocking	Jr	F	Southern California	Anaheim, Calif.
Jaelin Howell	Jr	M	Florida State	Lone Tree, Colo.
Jimena Lopez	Sr	D	Texas A&M	Mexico City, Mexico
Sydny Nasello	Jr	F	South Florida	Land O' Lakes, Fla.
Brianna Pinto	So	M	North Carolina	Durham, N.C.
Anna Podojil	So	F	Arkansas	Cincinnati, Ohio
Lucy Porter	Sr	M	Hofstra	Birmingham, England
Mijke Roelfsema	Sr	D	Rice	Den Haag, The Netherlands
Jazmeen Ryan	Sr	M	TCU	Norman, Okla.
Ally Schlegel	So	F	Penn State	Parker, Colo.

For all of the latest information on the Marshall men's soccer team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdMSoccer, Facebook at Marshall University Soccer and on www.herdzone.com.

To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!

---HerdZone.com---

Marshall University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Vitor Dias

Milo Yosef

Related Videos