Four players from the area named to Hermann Trophy watch lists

Philadelphia Union Academy grad Kalil ElMedkhar and three Division 1 women’s soccer players from the region have been named to the watch lists for the annual award for the top player in college men’s and women’s soccer.

ElMedkhar, a Middletown, Del. native, is returning to the University of Kentucky for his junior season after a breakout season in 2018 that saw him hit double digits in both goals and assists with 11 goals and 10 assists. ElMedkhar has played this summer with Reading United and was a member of the Philadelphia Union Academy and Penn Fusion Academy prior to college.

Amirah Ali, Madie Gibson and Phoebe McClernon all made the watch list on the women’s side.

Ali, a Voorhees, N.J. native and former Eastern Regional High School and PDA standout, has 16 goals and 8 assists in her first two seasons at Rutgers. The U.S. youth international was a second-team All-American in 2018 after being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2017.

Madie Gibson is a fifth year senior at Monmouth from Cape May, N.J. The Lower Cape May Regional grad and former New Jersey Rush forward has 27 goals and 26 assists over her first three seasons at Monmouth.

Phoebe McClernon is a senior defender at the University of Virginia from West Chester. A third-team All-American last season, the Notre Dame de Namur grad has made 67 appearances for the Hoos over her first three seasons in Charlottesville and has started 43 of 45 games over the past two seasons. She also played at Penn Fusion Academy prior to college.

The Hermann Trophy is given annually by the Missouri Athletic Club. This year’s watch lists include 36 players on the men’s side and 61 on the women’s side. Fifteen semifinalists will be named for each award near the end of the college season.