Ethan Finlay Earns Omaha World-Herald Fred Ware Award
7/19/2012 11:13:00 PM | Men's Soccer
OMAHA, Neb. - One of the most decorated men's soccer players in program history, Ethan Finlay has added another award to his resume. Finlay, now a member of the Major League soccer's Columbus Crew, was given the Fred Ware award following the 2011-12 year.
The Ware Award is given annually to the four-year college athlete in Nebraska who, in the judgment of the newspaper's editors, made the most significant achievement in sports while representing the best traditions of his or her institution. The late Fred Ware organized The World-Herald's sports department and served as a sports editor from 1924 to 1942, and later was managing editor and a member of the newspaper's board of directors.
Finlay started all 79 matches in his four year career as a Bluejay, becoming just the third player in school history to twice earn first-team All-America honors. He was also Creighton's first two-time Missouri Valley player of the year. Finlay was the runner-up in voting for the Hermann Trophy, college soccer's Heisman, after leading his Bluejay squad to the College Cup Semifinals last fall.
The Minnesota native finished his career with 43 goals, fifth in program history and seventh in the Valley. His 103 career points rank sixth in school history and 10th in conference history. Nearly half of his goals (20 of the 43) were game-winning goals.
Finlay also excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-America honors in 2011 with a 3.41 grade-point average in finance.
The striker was picked as the No. 10 overall pick in the Major League Soccer Draft, going to the Columbus Crew. Finlay has played in 11 matches this season, making three starts.
