Maryland men’s soccer star forward Gordon Wild is on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch for the 2017 season after being a finalist for the trophy last year.
Wild was a First-Team All-American as a sophomore last year. He scored 17 goals and won Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. He was one of the three finalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy, awarded annually to the most outstanding male and female players in college soccer.
A Cologne, Germany, native, Wild burst onto the college soccer scene with 16 goals in his freshman season at USC Upstate, earning All-Freshman team recognition from Top Drawer Soccer.
He transferred to Maryland for his sophomore year and scored the most goals as a Terp since Patrick Mullins’ 17-goal season in 2012. Mullins is the last Maryland player to win the MAC Hermann Trophy, taking home the award in 2012 and 2013.
Wild added five assists to his 17 goals last year, giving him 39 points, 12 more than the next-closest Terp.
Three other Big Ten players — Indiana defender Grant Lillard, Michigan State forward Ryan Sierakowski and Wisconsin forward Chris Mueller — join Wild on the 31-player watch list. Maryland will see another member of the list, Coastal Carolina forward Frantzdy Pierrot, when the Chanticleers come to Ludwig Field on Oct. 20.
Wild is one of six starters returning from Maryland’s 2016 team, which went 18-1-2 and finished with a No. 7 ranking. The Terps scored 53 goals last season, and 45 of those came from returning players.
