Gloire Amanda, a graduate of the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy System, was honoured on Thursday as winner of the MAC Hermann trophy for the 2021 NCAA season. The award is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year.
Amanda, who just finished his junior season, was the first Oregon State player to be named a finalist for the MAC Hermann, and the fifth Pac-12 player to win the award on the men's side. Earlier this month, he joined Danny Mwanga and Khiry Shelton as Beavers to earn All-America honours from the United Soccer Coaches Association.
The 'Caps alum led the NCAA in both goals and points, set the Beavers record for point in a season with 37, and tied Alan Gordon for the second-highest goals total in a season with 15. His goal total matched the fourth-most in Pac-12 history since the conference started soccer in 2001.
Born in Tanzania, Amanda and his family moved to Edmonton, Alberta at the age of eight. He joined the Whitecaps FC BMO MLS Academy in 2014, and went on to score 48 goals with the club over three seasons at the youth level. He went on to sign a USL contract with Whitecaps FC 2 in 2017, scoring three goals and recording two assists while starting 11 of his 27 appearances.
Amanda beat out fellow finalists Victor Bezerra of Indiana and Valentin Noel of Pittsburgh.
