Sept. 3, 2003

St. Louis, Missouri - The Missouri Athletic Club today released its first "Watch List" of players considered among the top candidates for the 2003 Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann trophy. Among those on the list was Villanova University women's soccer defender Michelle Biehl (Southampton, Pa./ Archbishop Wood HS).

The M.A.C.'s Hermann Trophy is college soccer's version of the Heisman Trophy and represents the highest level of individual achievement in the sport. Past recipients include some of the biggest names in soccer, such as Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Shannon MacMillan, Cindy Parlow, Claudio Reyna, Tony Meola and Alexi Lalas.

A nominating committee consisting of conference representatives from each Division I conference for men and women will select a final ballot of the top 15 male and female candidates in early November. The winners of the award are selected through voting by Division I collegiate coaches who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The winners will be announced at a news conference in conjunction with the NCAA Men's College Cup in Columbus, Ohio, in December. The trophy will be presented to the men's and women's winner at a banquet on Friday, Jan. 9, at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. For more information on the M.A.C.'s Hermann Trophy, visit www.mac-hermann-trophy.org.

The players and their capsule biographies follow.

Women's Biographies

Chrissie Abbott, Sr., Forward, West Virginia, North Olmsted, Ohio A first-team NSCAA/adidas All-America...led her team in goals and points last season, putting a school-record 20 balls into the back of the net...also had seven assists for 47 points...her penalty kick gave WVU the win over Virginia, the first Mountaineers victory over a top-10 team...also had the game-winner in WVU's first NCAA tournament victory, a 3-0 decision over Loyola (Md.).

Nicole Barnhart, Jr., Goalkeeper, Stanford, Gilbertsville, Pa. First-team NSCAA/adidas All-America as a sophomore...started all 23 games in goal, piling up 2,047 minutes while logging a 0.18 GAA...set the school record for shutouts (18) and had 59 saves against only four goals allowed...recorded four straight shutouts in last year's NCAA Tournament, including one against eventual national champion Portland...also earned NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-America honors last season.

Michelle Biehl, Jr., Defender, Villanova, Southampton, Pa. A third-team NSCAA/adidas All-America last fall...helped Villanova to a 0.53 GAA in 2002, including a 0.79 GAA against Big East opponents...has won Big East Defensive Player of the Week honors three times in her career, including twice as a freshman.

Candace Chapman, Jr., Defender, Notre Dame, Ajax, Ontario Second-team NSCAA/adidas All-America and the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2002...a midfielder on the Canadian national team that was runner-up to the USA in the first U-19 Women's World Cup...first-team All-Big East as a freshman...scheduled to compete for Canada in the Women's World Cup...was an all-tournament selection in the 2002 Gold Cup and the 2002 U-19 Women's World Championship.

Courtney Crandell, So., Forward, Charlotte, Des Moines, Iowa First-team NSCAA/adidas All-America, the first 49er to earn the honor...the first player to win Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season...set school and C-USA records with 21 goals and 50 points last season...recorded seven game-winning goals...had three goals and an assist in the win over nationally-ranked Marquette...Iowa's Player of the Year and an NSCAA/adidas All-America in high school.

Keeley Dowling, Jr., Defender, Tennessee, Carmel, Ind. First Volunteer player to earn NSCAA/adidas All-America honors with her second-team selection last season...first UT player to earn All-SEC honors as a sophomore...had 12 points and five goals in 23 games after missing the first two games of the season while serving as a co-captain for the world champion U.S. U-19 team...her header with 1:02 left in overtime game the Vols the SEC title...has five game-winning goals in her career, two off the Tennessee record...the 2000 Indiana Player of the Year and NSCAA/adidas All-America.

Melanie Kasparek, So., Midfield, Rhode Island, Trumbull, Conn. Second-team NSCAA/adidas All-America last season, one of only three freshmen to receive the honor...Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Year and first-team all-conference...rewrote URI's freshman scoring records with 14 goals and 38 points...had both Rams goals in the 2-1 upset of No. 9 Auburn...four-time A-10 Rookie of the Week.

Joanna Lohman, Sr., Midfield, Penn State, Silver Spring, Md. A finalist for the M.A.C.'s Hermann Trophy and the Honda Sports Award last year...was named NSCAA/adidas Scholar Athlete of the Year, the first junior to receive the award...a two-time NSCAA/adidas first-team All-America...led Penn State in assists last season (11) and scored 31 points...all three of her goals as a freshman were game-winners...played with the U.S. U-21 team, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over host Finland at the Nordic Cup.

Kati McBain, Sr., Midfield, Texas, Los Altos, Calif. A third-team NSCAA/adidas All-America and first-team All-Big 12 selection last year...was second in team scoring with 27 points, including conference-best 13 assists...tied for ninth in the nation with 0.62 assists per game average...already owns the Texas career assist record with 30...also holds the UT single-season assist record of 13, which she set as a freshman and tied as a junior...helped her Central Valley Mercury club team to three consecutive US Youth Soccer national titles.

Nandi Pryce, Sr., Defender, UCLA, Casselberry, Fla. First-team NSCAA/adidas All-America and first-team All-Pac-10...a finalist for the M.A.C.'s Hermann Trophy last year...part of a Bruins defense that ranked ninth in the nation in goals-against average (0.57) and 11th in shutout percentage (0.55)...started every match as a member of the U.S. U-21 National Team that claimed its fifth consecutive Nordic Cup title...captained the 2002 Nordic Cup team...a two-time NSCAA/adidas All-America in high school.

Catherine Reddick, Sr., Defender, North Carolina, Birmingham, Ala. A finalist for the M.A.C.'s Hermann Trophy last season...first-team NSCAA/adidas All-America in 2002 after a second-team selection in 2001...a consensus All-America the past two years...has become a defensive mainstay for the U.S. Women's National Team...had her best scoring game against Clemson in the ACC Tournament final, logging two goals and an assist just 12 hours after a cross-country flight from a USWNT match...although she played only 17 games in 2002 due to national team commitments, she had her most productive scoring season with 17 points.

Aleshia Rose, Sr., Midfield, BYU, Lakewood, Colo. Her second-team selection marked the third year she's been named an NSCAA/adidas All-America...previously listed as Cramer-Rose...three-time All-Mountain West Conference first team choice...led the league in assists (12) last year...MWC Player of the Year as a sophomore...MWC Freshman of the Year...U.S. National Team member...plays club ball with the Colorado Rush.

Christine Sinclair, Jr., Forward, Portland, Burnaby, British Columbia A finalist for the M.A.C.'s Hermann Trophy last year...an NSCAA/adidas first-team All-America...led Portland to its first national title, earning College Cup Offensive MVP honors by scoring both Pilot goals in the title game against Santa Clara...led the nation with 26 goals last season...her 21 points in the NCAA Tournament broke the record (16) held by Mia Hamm...2002 Honda Award recipient...a member of Canadian national team, she shared top scoring honors in the 2002 Gold Cup with Tiffeny Milbrett and Charmaine Hooper.

Lindsay Tarpley, So., Forward, North Carolina, Kalamazoo, Mich. ACC Rookie of the Year and first-team All-ACC in 2002...led UNC in scoring with 47 points...had five game-winning goals last season, including one against Tennessee in the third round of the NCAA Tournament...on the rosters of the U.S. Women's National Team and the U.S. U-21 National Team...scored the golden goal in the Junior World Cup championship match against Canada...led her Michigan Hawks club team to the 2001 US Youth Soccer national championship.

Kelly Wilson, Jr., Forward, Texas, Odessa, Texas Third-team NSCAA/adidas All-America last year...was a member of the U.S. National Team that claimed the first U-19 World Cup title last fall...was a finalist for the M.A.C.'s Hermann Trophy last year...the Big 12 Player of the Year...first-team All-Big 12 and Academic Big-12...second-team NSCAA/adidas All-America and Big 12 Rookie of the Year as a freshman...entered the season No. 2 on the UT career charts for points (65) and assists (23)...a member of the U.S. U-21 National Team this summer, but did not travel to the Nordic Cup due to injury.

Veronica Zepeda, Sr., Forward, Santa Clara, Riverside, Calif. A third-team NSCAA/adidas All-America as a sophomore, when she helped the Broncos to the national championship...member of the 2001 College Cup All-Tournament Team...a clutch performer who scored twice against North Carolina in the 2002 College Cup semifinal...paired up with teammate Taline Tahmassian to score five goals in the first six minutes of a 2001 match against Florida State...was one of only four high schoolers among the 30 players on the 2000 U.S. Olympic training roster.