Georgetown University men’s soccer senior midfielder Zach Zengue and sophomore forward Mitchell Baker were named two of the 15 Missouri Athletic Club’s (MAC) Hermann Trophy semifinalists Dec. 9.
The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious collegiate soccer award and the soccer equivalent of football’s Heisman trophy. Each year, a preseason watch list is released in August, a midseason watchlist voted on by roughly 500 Division I soccer coaches is released in October, 15 semifinalists are chosen in November, three finalists are announced in December and the winner is awarded in January. This season, Zengue was named to both the August watch list and the midseason watchlist.
Currently, Zengue is tied for the national lead with 42 points, having scored 14 goals and 14 assists on the season. Baker and Zengue are tied for eighth in the country in goals. Both players were essential parts of a Hoya offense that leads the nation in goals with 52.
Baker and Zengue were both unanimously named to the all-Big East First Team, and Zengue was also named the Big East Midfielder of the Year. Both players also earned First Team honors for the all-East region from United Soccer Coaches on Dec. 9.
Zengue led the Big East conference in points, goals and assists, scoring three game-winning goals and four penalty kicks throughout the season. Baker led the Big East with five game-winning goals, and was tied for sixth in the nation in game-winning goals.
Zengue scored most of his goals in the earlier part of the season, recording three braces during the regular season — against Rider University on Sept. 13, George Mason University on Sept. 23 and the University of Connecticut on Oct. 11. Zengue also recorded his career first hat trick against Butler University on Sept. 19. In a three game early-season stretch before conference play opened, Zengue recorded 7 goals.
Baker scored the majority of his goals in the later stretch of the season, recording clutch braces against Providence College in the Big East semifinal match Nov. 13 and the University of Central Florida in the NCAA Round of 32 on Nov. 23.
Baker and Zengue led the Hoyas in a goals renaissance, from 28 last season to 52 this season. The two players were also vital on both sides of the pitch. Zengue’s speed, technique and tactical awareness constantly created chances for his fellow Hoyas, reflected by the 14 assists. Baker’s size at 6’5” placed him in a critical position in any corner, and he performed accordingly.
Georgetown was one of two schools to have two players named as MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists — the other being North Carolina State University, who ended Georgetown’s season Dec. 6 in the Elite 8.
Baker and Zengue are the ninth and tenth players to be named as MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists in Georgetown program history since the award’s inception in 1967. They are also the second pair of Hoyas to earn the honor, the other pair being midfielder Dante Polvara and midfielder Sean Zawadzki in 2021. Polvara went on to win the MAC Hermann Trophy, becoming Georgetown’s only winner, and currently plays for Aberdeen, a Scottish Premiership club. Zawadzki plays for Columbus Crew, a Major League Soccer (MLS) club.
Garnering a MAC Hermann Trophy, and even being named a semifinalist, is a significant mark of distinction. Of the 29 MLS teams that exist, 26 have former MAC Hermann trophy recipients on their rosters. Since 1990, MAC Herman trophy winners have made 52 World Cup appearances.
Of the 15 semifinalists, three will be announced as MAC Hermann Trophy finalists Dec. 17. Finalists are decided based on votes from both NCAA Division I coaches and the public. The public can vote for one finalist now through Dec. 16.
