UNC Soccer: Four Tar Heels named to Hermann Trophy watch list

This week, the Missouri Athletic Club announced their watch lists for the Hermann Trophy. The Hermann Trophy is the top individual award in collegiate soccer. It is given to the top male and female players. Four North Carolina Tar Heels made the list this year.

On the women’s team, junior forward Alessia Russo, junior midfielder Taylor Otto, and sophomore midfielder Brianna Pinto were named to the watch list.

Russo, the reigning ACC Offensive Player of the Year, was a semifinalist for the award last year and she looks to build upon her First Team All-ACC work last year.

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Otto, another First Team All-ACC selection in 2018, was third in scoring for the Tar Heels last season.

Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Pinto was yet another All-ACC first teamer, but she did so as a freshman last season. The first-team freshman All-American was second in scoring for UNC in 2018.

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For the men, Mauricio Pineda was named to the watch list. The senior midfielder was a 2018 second-team All-American and on the First Team All-ACC.

Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Each team is looking to build off successful 2018 seasons. The women were the NCAA national runner-ups last year, while the men went to their 11th straight NCAA tournament.

Soccer kicks off in Chapel Hill later this month.