Senior forward shoots for award

By Matt Van Epps
Assistant Sports Editor

In Nebraska, the trophy that gets the most buzz is usually the Heisman, but senior forward Julian Nash has his sights set on the Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s top honor.
In past years, US National Team stars such as Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Claudio Reyna and Alexi Lalas have won the prize.

The Missouri Athletic Club of St. Louis awards the trophy to the most outstanding player in Division I soccer for the preceding season. Members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America vote for the award.

Along with 24 other hopefuls, Julian Nash has been named to the watch list. The list will shrink to 15 players in November and to three finalists in early December.
Nash, the Jays’ active scoring leader, has racked up 12 goals and 13 assists in his career and was named to the Missouri Valley Conference Second Team in 2002.

This season has already been successful for Nash. He was named Most Valuable Player of the Diadora Classic, in which Creighton defeated Western Michigan and Loyola Marymount to begin the season. Nash scored the game-tying goal in Creighton’s 2-1 victory over LMU. He also has three assists in the Jays’ last four games.

Nash

Nash only earned 4 points in all 17 matches last year, so his 5 points thus far put him in a good position to be named a semi-finalist.

Coach Bob Warming said he is pleased with how well Nash has played this year.

“ Julian is in the best shape of his life this season,” Warming said. “I think that puts him in a good position to help us out.”

Nash said that any additional pressure the attention might bring has not affected him.

“ I don’t think of it that way. I think of it more as motivation,” Nash said. “It’s a big honor for me to get that award, and I want to go out there every day and play like a Hermann Trophy candidate.”

Even though Nash wants the Hermann Trophy, his main goals are to win the College Cup and get drafted in January’s Major League Soccer Draft.

“ Winning the College Cup is more of a goal than winning the Hermann Trophy, but they kind of go hand in hand,” Nash said. “If I’m helping my team out, that’s going to help my chances to win the trophy.”

Being a candidate for the trophy has not changed Nash’s game at all. He said he wants to do whatever he can to help the team win first.

“ It’s always nice to score goals, but I’m definitely more concerned with how we do as a team,” Nash said. “It doesn’t matter if I score three goals if we lose 4-3. I wouldn’t be happy. The success of the team is my first priority.”

The team has been successful. The Jays leaped into the Top 10 in three of the four national polls this week.
The NSCAA/adidas poll ranked them ninth, while Soccer America and Soccer Times ranked the Jays 10th and seventh, respectively.

Part of the Jays’ success is due to the performance of the freshmen.

Nash said that he is impressed by the contributions they have made.

“ I think it’s great that we have freshmen who can step in and make an impact,” Nash said. “It’s not all the time that they can come in and do that.”

Nash follows the tradition of Jays being named to the watch list. Tranchilla was a candidate in 2001 and 2002, and David Wagenfuhr made the list last year.
The only Jay to win the award was Johnny Torres in 1997. Nash said he felt honored to be in the same company as some of Creighton’s finest.

“ Looking back at the players that have been up for it in the past, I’m really honored that I’m held in the same esteem as they are,” Nash said. “It’s an incredible feat. It would be amazing if I were to win it.”