Indiana University Athletics
Plotkin Honored as One of Nation's Elite
1/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Jan. 8, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - At the beginning of the 2005 season, the preseason All-American lists came out and nary a one listed Hoosier senior midfielder Brian Plotkin. The omission struck Indiana head coach Mike Freitag as odd considering Plotkin was a significant part of the backbone that led the Hoosier program to back-to-back national champions for the third time in school history in 2003 and 2004. Well Plotkin more than exceeded his preseason hype, or lack there of, on Jan. 6, sitting in the Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis as one of the three finalists for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy.
"I am extremely proud of Brian," Freitag said. "He has represented IU with class throughout his four years and did the same on Friday. Brian has been one of my favorites to watch play. He has a great career ahead of him as a professional."
Plotkin was not only recognized as one of the top three players in college soccer, but he was a first team All-American according to every publication. He earned first team recognition from NSCAA/adidas, Top Drawer Soccer, Soccer Times, Soccer America and College Soccer News.
Maryland's Jason Garey earned the 2005 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy for the men, while Portland's Christine Sinclair won her second straight M.A.C. Hermann Trophy on the women's side. The winners were announced live on ESPNews on Jan. 6. Sinclair received the honor in 2004 along with former Hoosiers Danny O'Rourke.
Plotkin enjoyed an exceptional career at Indiana, including back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2003 and 2004. During his four-year Hoosier career, Indiana amassed an overall record of 64-13-14. He leaves Indiana as one of the top players to wear the cream and crimson. Plotkin finished his career ranked among IU's all-time top 25 in three categories; tied for ninth in assists (34), eighth in career shots (262) and 23rd in career points (76).
Along with the All-America accolades, Plotkin was also named the Big Ten Player of the Year and was the conference's only unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection. In earning the conference's top honor, Plotkin joined a group of elite Hoosier players, including Brian Maisonneuve (1993 and 1994), Lazo Alavanja (1997 and 1998), Aleksey Korol (1999), Ryan Mack (2000) and Pat Noonan (2001 and 2002) to earn the honor.
He topped the Big Ten in points (26) and game-winning goals (4), while ranking second in assists (10) and fourth in goals (8). Plotkin's candidacy for player of the year honor was boosted by the fact that he earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors on three occasions.
He capped his Hoosier career by scoring the game-winning goal on Senior Night (Nov. 3) against then-No. 1 Akron. Plotkin knocked in a cross from senior Jordan Chirico, inciting a celebration from the sixth-largest crowd of 4,884 in attendance. For his efforts, the senior captain was named Soccer America National Player of the Year as well as Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.
Last season, O'Rourke became the first Hoosier to win the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy. The M.A.C. Award and Hermann Trophy were merged into one award prior to the 2002 season. Before that, the honors were both given out as national player of the year awards. The merge of the two honors completed a process of combining the three top honors in collegiate soccer. In 1999, the M.A.C. and NSCAA came together to create a single award to recognize the top Division I player.
On five occasions, a Hoosier won the Hermann Trophy and on three occasions, a Hoosier won the M.A.C. Player of the Year Award. The list of Hermann Trophy winners includes: Angelo DiBernardo (1978), Armando Betancourt (1981), Ken Snow (1988, 1990) and Brian Maisonneuve (1994). The list of M.A.C. Award winners includes Snow (1988, 1990) and Todd Yeagley (1994).
Plotkin will take part in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Combine, Jan. 12-15, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The venue holds fond memories for he and former teammate Mike Ambersley, who will also compete at the Combine. The duo was instrumental in helping the Hoosiers to their second straight NCAA title in 2004 at the venue. Plotkin and Ambersley both will then await their draft fate. The MLS SuperDraft will be Jan. 20 at the NSCAA National Convention in Philadelphia.
