Andrews honored as MAC Hermann finalist

Senior Morgan Andrews was recognized in the top echelon of women’s soccer players on Jan. 6 at the MAC Hermann Trophy banquet. After leading her team to a NCAA championship title, Andrews became the second Trojan athlete to be named as a MAC Hermann finalist.

The honor is equivalent to becoming a Heisman finalist in college football. At the start of the season, Andrews was selected for a watch list along with fellow senior Kayla Mills. After finishing the season as the team’s second-highest scorer, Andrews was placed in the top three players in the nation.

West Virginia senior Kadeisha Buchanan won the prestigious award, and Stanford senior Andi Sullivan was the third finalist for the award. Buchanan is a regular for the Canadian national team, earning the title of Canadian Women’s Player of the Year and a nomination for the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2015.

Andrews’ selection among this level of competition reflected the growing success of the USC program throughout her time in the program. After transferring from Notre Dame, Andrews became part of the core that led the team to a national championship this year. She scored 24 points and notched four assists on the season, scoring the first goal in the final game against West Virginia.

When she first received the nomination, Andrews was adamant that her goals had nothing to do with individual awards. She had one goal, she said — a national championship. Everything else was just a fun add-on.

But after securing that ultimate goal, this honor was the final touch on a rollercoaster of a senior year.

“It’s the greatest honor any collegiate soccer player can earn,” Andrews said after her nomination. “When you look at the people who have come before, who have won it in the past, it’s pretty incredible to even be considered on that level.”