A season after former Louisville City FC standouts Matt Fondy and Bryan Burke hauled in multiple United Soccer League awards, the successors at their spots are in line for hardware of their own.
The USL on Thursday put striker Chandler Hoffman and right back Kyle Smith on its ballots for Midseason MVP and Rookie of the Year, respectively.
Hoffman will contend in a fan vote against Jack McBean, who leads the USL in scoring and was recently promoted from the LA Galaxy II to Major League Soccer, along with Tulsa Roughnecks FC’s Sammy Ochoa and Saint Louis FC’s Irvin Herrera. A 25-year-old UCLA product, Hoffman has 11 goals on the season to lead all active USL players.
VOTE: Hoffman for Midseason MVP
Smith, a Transylvania University graduate who signed with LouCity after drawing attention at an open tryout, is the USL’s co-leader in assists at 5 and has also scored a goal. Others in Midseason Rookie of the Year voting are New York Red Bulls II’s Brandon Allen, Rio Grande Valley FC’s T.J. Casner and Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2’s Alphonso Davies.
VOTE: Smith for Midseason Rookie of the Year
Thanks to contributions from Hoffman and Smith, LouCity will carry into Saturday’s match against the Charleston Battery at Louisville Slugger Field a 15-match unbeaten streak. Louisville sits at the top of the Eastern Conference table under direction from coach James O’Connor.
The midseason awards ballots are open through 9 a.m. Monday.
Fondy, the leading scorer on LouCity’s inaugural roster, scored a USL-record 22 goals in 28 regular-season games. He eanred MVP and Golden Boot honors. Burke tallied 10 assists to lead the league on his way to being named USL Defender of the Year.
