Photo courtesy of Fordham Athletics
It’s nice to be identified as one of the top players in your conference, but it’s another thing entirely to be recognized as one of the top players in the country.
Fordham men’s soccer senior defender John Pardini received such an accolade when the Missouri Athletic Club named him to its Hermann Trophy Watch List for 2008.
Considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer, the recipients of the Hermann Trophy are selected by Division I head coaches who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
From a field of 48 players, a coaches’ committee selects 15 semifinalists in November, with three finalists emerging the following month. The finalists are invited to the Missouri Athletic Club for a news conference in January, where the winner is announced.
A 2008 preseason Atlantic 10 All-Conference selection, Pardini was one of five Atlantic 10 players on the initial list, which included three players from Saint Louis and one from Dayton.
Pardini received First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors in 2007 after another outstanding season as defender. He started all 19 games, helping the Rams’ post five shutouts. Pardini also found the stat sheet offensively, posting two goals and an assist. One of his goals was arguably the biggest of the season for Fordham, as it was the game-winner against Richmond in the season finale, which gave Fordham a berth in the 2007 Atlantic 10 Tournament.
The Rams qualified for last season’s Atlantic 10 Championship for the first time since the 1998 season.
