Giuseppe Barone Named MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State junior midfielder Giuseppe Barone was named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, announced by the United Soccer Coaches on Tuesday. He is one of 15 semifinalist including four from the Big Ten, along with Indiana’s Trey Muse and Andrew Gutman and Michigan’s Jack Hallahan.
Barone is the first Spartan to earn this accolade since fellow midfielder Jay Chapman in 2014.
The junior from Kentwood, Michigan was also the first Spartan since Chapman to be named the Big Ten Midfielder of the Year. Barone also garnered first-team All-Big Ten honors. He is second in the league with 10 assists. Barone is second on the team in scoring with three goals and 10 assists for 16 points.
“I think it is well deserved. The Big Ten is one of the best conferences in the country, and Giuseppe was rated the best midfielder by the coaches. He was a talented player as a freshman, but I think that he has really matured and grown as a player. He has found a way to impact just about every game that he has played in,” MSU head coach Damon Rensing said. “I am very happy for him, his family and the team. I think that Giuseppe would agree that you can’t be up for an award like this without the success of the team.”
The MAC Hermann Trophy, presented by World Wide Technology, is the most coveted individual honor in NCAA Division I soccer and has been awarded annually since 1967. Most recently, Jon Bakero (Wake Forest) and Andi Sullivan (Stanford) received the award for outstanding intercollegiate performances during their senior seasons in 2017.
Three men’s finalists and three women’s finalists will be named on Dec. 7 in conjunction with the Men’s College Cup semifinals in Santa Barbara, California. The 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy banquet will be held at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Jan. 4, 2019 to formally announce this year’s winners.
Barone and the Spartans are back in action on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. against James Madison in the Elite Eight
