PHILADELPHIA – There is very little doubt that juniors
Leo Burney and
Stas Korzeniowski are poised for excellence again in 2023 for the University of Pennsylvania men's soccer team. The pair were named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List on Thursday afternoon.
Presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC), the award is given to the National Player of the Year as determined by the voting of Division I coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches. Fifteen players will become Hermann Trophy semifinalists following completion of Division I All-America voting at the end of the fall season. On December 13th, three finalists will be announced.
The 2023 winner is revealed on Jan. 5th, 2024, at a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo.
Of the 37 members of the preseason Watch List, the two Quakers are the only representatives from the Ivy League.
Burney, the reigning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, earned second-team All-America honors for his stellar performance in 2022. He started all 18 matches on the backline for the Quakers, playing 90 minutes 14 times. Burney helped hold the opposition to a goals against average of just 0.78, which included eight shutouts. He finished fourth on the team with five goals, scoring game winners against Yale and Cornell.
Korzeniowski was a goal-scoring machine for the Red and Blue in 2022, taking home Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year honors as only a sophomore. Joining Burney on the All-America second team, he started all 18 matches and totaled 29 points with 11 goals and seven assists. At Colgate on September 11, Korzeniowski netted a hat trick and an assist, putting together a seven-point performance.
This summer, both players contributed greatly to the success of Ballard FC in USL League 2 play, leading the club to the title in a thrilling victory over Lionsbridge FC, 2-1, on August 5. Korzeniowski scored the opening goal of the contest, while Burney played a major role in setting up inside the box for the game winner.
In addition to their Hermann Trophy laurels, both individuals were named Players to Watch for their respective position groups by the United Soccer Coaches.
Burney, Korzeniowski and the Quakers begin play for the 2023 campaign on September 1 at Fordham, kicking off at 7 p.m. in the Bronx.
For the latest on Penn men's soccer, follow @PennMSoccer on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com
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