Last Saturday’s 2-1 win against California wasn’t the only accomplishment of the day for Terrapin men’s soccer defender Omar Gonzalez.

The 6-foot-5 center back was named one of 15 MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists for college soccer’s player of the year. The junior from Dallas has been a solid part of the Terps’ at times dominant defensive unit. He’s also used his unique skill set as a converted forward to score five goals and record one assist on the year, including the first goal in the round-of-16 win against Cal.

“It’s a real prestigious award,” Gonzalez said. “I know the last [Terp] that made it to the semifinal was Stephen King, and he was one of our big-time players, and I feel a great honor to be on that same caliber. But I’m really happy to be a Terp and make it to the semifinals.”

King was named a semifinalist last season. But he was a midfielder and had more opportunities to score – and to make an impact on the trophy committee.

“Naturally, those awards typically go to attacking players,” coach Sasho Cirovski said. “It’s a tremendous honor for him and for our program. We’ve constantly been able to put a guy into that list of honorees, and we’ve got some future ones on the team too.”

Gonzalez was named 2007 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, an award which Wake Forest defender Ike Opara won this season, but continued to improve his game.

“He’s improved every year, and I think he’s one of the top players in college soccer,” Cirovski said. “He’s just a dominant player. His game has matured on the field, and he as a person has matured off the field. And you’re seeing a great progression of a big time player.”

n KASSEL RETURNS

Midfielder Matt Kassel finally returned to action in the second half of Saturday’s game against Cal after sitting out three games with a right foot contusion he suffered early in the Terps’ Nov. 12 ACC tournament quarterfinal win against North Carolina.

The freshman, who has recorded seven assists this year mostly on set pieces, played just over 12 minutes and was replaced by defender Kevin Tangney for defensive purposes as the Terps tried to hold on to their 2-1 lead.

While senior captain Michael Marchiano has stepped into the starting role at defensive midfield that Kassel held all season and performed well, Kassel’s ability might be needed as the Terps continue their run to the College Cup with their quarterfinal matchup against Creighton on Saturday afternoon.

“I’m feeling a lot better,” Kassel said. “I’m coming back and I’m progressing. I’m just trying to get better for game time [Saturday].”

Kassel is back practicing with the team full time, though Marchiano still started the Terps’ game against Cal.

n CREIGHTON’S ODD SEED

The Terps’ opponent Saturday, Creighton, was ranked No. 2 in the final NSCAA/Adidas poll behind Wake Forest and only lost once this season. But for their efforts, the Blue Jays were awarded the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, meaning they have to get past the No. 2-seed Terps in College Park to win the region and advance to the College Cup.

One of the reasons for that demotion was the Blue Jays’ schedule. Creighton didn’t have many opportunities to beat top-flight teams in the Missouri Valley Conference, and as a result, their pre-conference tournament RPI was 10th in the nation. The Terps had the No. 4 RPI in the country.

But Cirovski wasn’t dissuaded by those numbers while talking about Creighton yesterday. Under coach Bob Warming, the Blue Jays have become one of the nation’s soccer powers and have been in the past 15 NCAA tournaments.

“I think they have some similarities to us and they have a great pedigree,” Cirovski said. “You look at their history they’re one of the top programs of the last 15 years.”

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