Dominic Oduro of the Class of 1999, who was recently
named to the pre-season All-Amrican team by Soccer
America, has been placed on the watchlist for the prestigious Herman trophy.
8/25/2005
RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia
Commonwealth University senior forward Dominic Oduro was one of 25 players included
on the 2005 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List. The list was compiled by a
panel of coaches from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America
(NSCAA).
Oduro was previously named first team preseason All-America by Soccer
America and second team preseason All-America by College Soccer News.
Oduro started all 21 matches for the Rams in 2004. He led the team and the
Colonial Athletic Association with 16 goals and 33 points. Three of his
goals were game-winners. VCU was 12-6-3 a year ago and 7-1-1 in the CAA,
winning its third consecutive regular-season title. Oduro was named 2004 CAA
Player of the Year and was a third-team All-American.
Former All-American Gonzalo Segares was VCU's first Hermann Trophy finalist
in 2004. Segares is a starting defender for the Chicago Fire of MLS.
The Rams were the #16 seed in the 2004 NCAA Tournament, one of five schools
to be a national seed each of the past three seasons. The Rams eliminated
top-seeded Wake Forest in the third round of the NCAA Tournament before
falling at top-ranked UC Santa Barbara in the CAA Quarterfinals. It was the
farthest that the men's soccer team had advanced in school history.
VCU is ranked in all four preseason polls this year. The Rams are 11th in
the NSCAA poll and 12th in the polls of College Soccer News, Soccer America
and Top Drawer Soccer.
The Rams have seven starters and 14 letter-winners returning this fall.
Under 11th-year head coach Tim O'Sullivan, the Rams were picked to win the
CAA regular-season championship in voting by the league's head coaches.
O'Sullivan has compiled a record in 116-71-24 in 10 seasons with the Rams
and 231-179-49 in 22 years as a head coach.
VCU will open the regular season on Friday, Sept. 2, against
nationally-ranked North Carolina at 8 p.m. in the first round of the
Nike/Alltel Classic at VCU's Sports Backers Stadium.
Oduro was previously named first team preseason All-America by Soccer
America and second team preseason All-America by College Soccer News.