Christie Welsh has been an outstanding soccer player throughout her collegiate career. Yesterday, she took her place among the elite of the sport.

Welsh, a junior forward on the Penn State women's soccer team, was awarded the Hermann Trophy in a ceremony at The Bryce Jordan Center. The award honors the nation's best soccer player.

The Big Ten's Player of the Year three seasons in a row, Welsh notched 25 goals and 18 assists this season in leading the Nittany Lions to a 24-4-1 record, a Big Ten regular season crown and an appearance in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament. The junior credited her fellow Lions as the main reason for her recognition.

"I'd like to thank my team first of all, because without them I would definitely not be able to receive this award," Welsh said.

Welsh has been an offensive dynamo in her three years with the Lions, and is the owner of all Penn State and Big Ten career offensive records. But Lions' head coach Paula Wilkins said that beyond the numbers, Welsh brings much prestige and recognition to Penn State soccer.

"The stuff she brings on the field is in the record books," Wilkins said. "But I think she brings a lot of acknowledgement to our program, so that other people get noticed."

Still, Welsh is the most decorated player in women's soccer history at Penn State. The Massapequa Park, N.Y. native was a candidate for the Hermann Trophy last year, and with a season remaining in her collegiate career she figures to again contend for the prestigious award in 2002.

"I don't think she'll realize until she's older the significance of this award," Wilkins said. "A lot of her work has paid off."

Robert R. Hermann, the former Chairman of the North American Soccer League for whom the trophy is named, was on-hand at yesterday's ceremony and said that Welsh won quite easily in the voting. But Welsh said that she was surprised on Monday when she heard that she was this year's recipient.

"The people that it came down to, they're really great players," Welsh said. "People could argue that anyone could have won this award. I'm very happy that I was chosen."

While she was pleased with her recognition, Welsh said that it does not take away the sting of the Lions' exit from the NCAA tournament at the hands of North Carolina last weekend.

And although she is considered by many to be a strong favorite for next year's Hermann Trophy, Welsh said that she has different hopes for her senior season.

"I'll take a national championship first."