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Sam Coffey Needs To Be A MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist

The MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists were announced on Tuesday. As expected, Penn State striker Ally Schlegel made the cut.

The redshirt sophomore joined 14 other players on the list with the chance of being one of three finalists for the award next Wednesday. Schlegel undoubtedly deserved a nod, as her 11 goals and six assists this year were unmatched by most in the nation from an effectiveness perspective.

However, she’s not the only Nittany Lion worthy of such recognition.

Sam Coffey was inexplicably left off the semifinalist chart despite being Penn State’s best chance at winning the award. According to TopDrawerSoccer, she is the fiercest opponent to Jaelin Howell of Florida State, the favorite for this year’s prize.

Now, the battle in the middle between the two best players in the country in today’s Sweet Sixteen match won’t double as an audition for the MAC Hermann Trophy.

Coffey has been Penn State’s midfield maestro all season long. For most of the year, she has sat in front of the center backs as a “No. 6,” distributing brilliantly and playing a crucial role on the defensive end, as well.

From Manuel Neuer to Virgil Van Dijk, non-attacking players have infamously been snubbed from important awards. It’s understandable; fans want to see goals, and logically those players are the ones getting their names carved in a plaque at the end of the year.

However, Coffey can score, too.

As a defensive midfielder for most of the year, the Boston College transfer still found a way to score six goals, and she led the Big Ten with eight assists, a ridiculous statistic for someone who plays her position. Couple that with Coffey arguably having the best ball control, movement, and field vision in the entire country, and it is a mystery as to how she didn’t end up on the list.

As the old adage goes, the best players make those around them better, and that is exactly what Coffey does. In a March clash against Michigan, her two assists demonstrated just what type of player she is — technical on the ball, incredibly unselfish, and with national-class vision.

While this tweet may highlight goalscorer Schlegel, she never would have gotten an easy tap in if it weren’t for Coffey’s ability to dance around defenders, get into good areas, and find her teammate at the perfect time.

Coffey also has the uncanny ability to play the inch-perfect ball into the attackers. This is an NWSL-level pass, folks.

Now, it is understandable to argue that, with just 15 players in the nation being selected, a lot of great players could slip through the cracks. That is true. Frankie Tagliaferri has been Penn State’s best player in the NCAA Tournament, although I don’t think she is a top 15 player in the nation (she is close, though). Even goalkeeper Kat Asman, winger Payton Linnehan, and versatile captain Kerry Abello are all first-tier players nationally… but not top 15.

However, Coffey is a different story. The New York native is the best player on the best team in the Big Ten, making the committee’s selection of Schlegel somewhat peculiar.

Only one other player from the conference made the cut, Amirah Ali of Rutgers. The senior is a standout player for the Scarlet Knights and dominated a lot of teams as a midfielder or forward. However, Coffey ousted Ali in nearly every offensive stat despite playing slightly behind her in the field. If two Big Ten players were to be selected, it should’ve been Schlegel and Coffey.

The argument against picking two Penn Staters is understandable — two players from the No. 17 team in the nation doesn’t make sense in a 15-player list.

However, the Nittany Lions’ ranking is through no fault of their own. That was another committee making yet another bad decision in criminally underrating the side. Penn State should be a top-five team in the nation, which its United Soccer Coaches ranking reflected towards the end of the year. In that case, the Nittany Lions are more than welcome to have a pair of players in contention.

But now, we are left with one Penn Stater remaining. Although Schlegel is a star and deserving of the nomination, she isn’t the only rightful player from Happy Valley on this list.

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About the Author

Otis Lyons

Otis is a sophomore majoring in print journalism and is one of Onward State's associate editors. He lives just north of San Francisco, and is a diehard San Jose Earthquakes fan. Feel free to send over your soccer hot takes to his twitter @otisnlyons1 and instagram @otislyons

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