Grella And Videira Tabbed As Two Of 15 Semifinalists For MAC Hermann Trophy

DURHAM, N.C. --- Junior forward Mike Grella and senior midfielder Michael Videira were named as semifinalists for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy as the national player of the year on Wednesday. Videira had been on the watch list throughout the season while Grella is making his first appearance as a Hermann Trophy candidate.

Three finalists will be announced on Friday, Dec. 14, in conjunction with the semifinal rounds of the 2007 NCAA Men's College Cup. The winners will be announced at a banquet at the MAC in St. Louis, Mo., on Friday, Jan. 11, where they will be presented the prestigious crystal soccer ball that has come to symbolize the highest level of individual achievement in intercollegiate soccer.

Grella, a native of Glen Cove, N.Y., is a two-time first-team All-ACC selection. He led the Blue Devils with 10 goals this season and added six assists for 26 points. Grella was tops in the ACC with six game-winning goals. He was named Top Drawer Soccer's national player of the week on Sept. 1 and has received a total of five national team of the week accolades from three different media sources. In 2006, Grella was an NSCAA/adidas All-Region choice, when he started all 23 games and led the team with 13 goals and 32 points.

Videira, a product of Milford, Mass., is a Hermann Trophy semifinalist for the third consecutive season. He started 15 matches and played 1,215 minutes despite battling through a leg injury. Videira tallied two goals and three assists in 2007 and ran the offense from the center midfield position. He was a first team All-ACC selection for the third consecutive season, a third team Academic All-America choice for the second year in a row and a first team Academic All-District team member for the second straight season. Videira has been named to the All-Region team three times and was the ACC Tournament's Most Valuable Player in 2006.

Seven of the 15 semifinalists are ACC student-athletes, including Alejandro Bedoya of Boston College, Stephen King of Maryland, Yannick Reyering of Virginia, Patrick Nyarko of Virginia Tech and Julian Valentin of Wake Forest. Duke joins Connecticut as the only two teams with more than one semifinalist.

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