Lilly Reale
Photo by: Scott Chandler
Lilly Reale Selected as MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist
December 04, 2024 | Women's Soccer
For the second year in a row, UCLA defender Lilly Reale was selected as a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, based on voting by NCAA Division I women's soccer coaches.
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Reale, the winner of the 2022 Honda Sport Award, is looking to become UCLA's first-ever MAC Hermann Trophy winner on the women's side. She is a two-time All-American and three-time conference Defender of the Year, winning the Pac-12 award in 2022 and 2023 and the Big Ten award in 2024. Reale became just the fourth UCLA player ever to receive first-team all-conference honors all four years, joining legendary national team players Lauren Cheney, Abby Dahlkemper and Jessie Fleming.
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The senior from Hingham, Mass. started and played in 83 games for the Bruins over her four-year career, and she tallied three goals and four assists while leading the UCLA defense to 51 shutouts and a 0.53 goals against average. Reale's teams went 71-9-8 from 2021-24 and won the 2022 NCAA title, 2021 and 2023 Pac-12 titles and the 2024 Big Ten Tournament title. In 2022, Reale was named the College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
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In 2024, Reale held down UCLA's defense, guiding them to a nation-leading 16 shutouts and 0.41 goals against average. The Bruins shut out their first six opponents of the season, becoming just the second UCLA team ever to start the year with as many shutouts. UCLA's 10 goals allowed and 16 shutouts rank No. 3 all-time at UCLA. The Bruins also allowed an average of just six shots per game, including three games in which they allowed just one shot. Reale provided important offense as well, scoring the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win at Cal Poly, going coast-to-coast 85 yards for the goal. She also assisted on the game-winner in the 1-0 win over No. 11 Santa Clara. Reale's play during the season led Top Drawer Soccer to rate her the No. 1 player in the nation in its Midseason Top 100.
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Fan voting for the MAC Hermann Trophy is now live at machermanntrophy.org. Voting closes on Monday, Dec. 9.
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The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most coveted individual honor in NCAA Division I soccer and has been awarded annually since 1967. Three women's finalists will be named for the award on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy banquet will be held at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Jan. 3, 2025, to formally announce this year's winners.ย
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2024 Women's MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalists
Natalie Bain - Xavier
Macy Blackburn โ Texas Tech
Brooklyn Courtnall โ USC
Bella Diorio โ TCU
Jordynn Dudley โ Florida State
Kailyn Dudukovich โ Ohio State
Izzy Engle โ Notre Dame
Kate Faase โ North Carolina
Maggie Graham โ Duke
Caiya Hanks โ Wake Forest
Khyah Harper โ Minnesota
Macey Hodge โ Mississippi State
Taylor Huff โ Florida State
Ginny Lackey โ James Madison
Lexi Missimo โ Texas
Chioma Okafor - Connecticut
Lilly Reale โ UCLA
Helena Sampaio โ USC
Ava Tankersley โ Arkansas
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Reale, the winner of the 2022 Honda Sport Award, is looking to become UCLA's first-ever MAC Hermann Trophy winner on the women's side. She is a two-time All-American and three-time conference Defender of the Year, winning the Pac-12 award in 2022 and 2023 and the Big Ten award in 2024. Reale became just the fourth UCLA player ever to receive first-team all-conference honors all four years, joining legendary national team players Lauren Cheney, Abby Dahlkemper and Jessie Fleming.
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The senior from Hingham, Mass. started and played in 83 games for the Bruins over her four-year career, and she tallied three goals and four assists while leading the UCLA defense to 51 shutouts and a 0.53 goals against average. Reale's teams went 71-9-8 from 2021-24 and won the 2022 NCAA title, 2021 and 2023 Pac-12 titles and the 2024 Big Ten Tournament title. In 2022, Reale was named the College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
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In 2024, Reale held down UCLA's defense, guiding them to a nation-leading 16 shutouts and 0.41 goals against average. The Bruins shut out their first six opponents of the season, becoming just the second UCLA team ever to start the year with as many shutouts. UCLA's 10 goals allowed and 16 shutouts rank No. 3 all-time at UCLA. The Bruins also allowed an average of just six shots per game, including three games in which they allowed just one shot. Reale provided important offense as well, scoring the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win at Cal Poly, going coast-to-coast 85 yards for the goal. She also assisted on the game-winner in the 1-0 win over No. 11 Santa Clara. Reale's play during the season led Top Drawer Soccer to rate her the No. 1 player in the nation in its Midseason Top 100.
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Fan voting for the MAC Hermann Trophy is now live at machermanntrophy.org. Voting closes on Monday, Dec. 9.
ย
The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most coveted individual honor in NCAA Division I soccer and has been awarded annually since 1967. Three women's finalists will be named for the award on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy banquet will be held at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Jan. 3, 2025, to formally announce this year's winners.ย
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2024 Women's MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalists
Natalie Bain - Xavier
Macy Blackburn โ Texas Tech
Brooklyn Courtnall โ USC
Bella Diorio โ TCU
Jordynn Dudley โ Florida State
Kailyn Dudukovich โ Ohio State
Izzy Engle โ Notre Dame
Kate Faase โ North Carolina
Maggie Graham โ Duke
Caiya Hanks โ Wake Forest
Khyah Harper โ Minnesota
Macey Hodge โ Mississippi State
Taylor Huff โ Florida State
Ginny Lackey โ James Madison
Lexi Missimo โ Texas
Chioma Okafor - Connecticut
Lilly Reale โ UCLA
Helena Sampaio โ USC
Ava Tankersley โ Arkansas
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Players Mentioned
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