For the second time in his career, Amherst College striker German Giammattei was labeled as the top player in the nation.

Giammattei was selected as the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Div. III Men’s National Player of the Year for the second time on Tuesday. Giammattei won the honor as a sophomore in 2019, and since most teams didn’t compete in 2020, the award wasn’t handed out. This makes him the first consecutive player of the year winner and only the second two-time recipient since the award was created in 1996. 

“Winning National Player of the Year twice in a college career is an incredible achievement,” Amherst coach Justin Serpone said in a press release. “Even more incredible is that German lost a year due to COVID. No matter how you look at it, German had one of the best college careers of any men’s soccer player that’s ever played in D-III.”

Giammattei played a big role in the Mammoths reaching the Div. 3 finals this season. He scored 12 goals — five game-winners — and dished four assists to give him the NESCAC high in goals, points and game winners this season. 

The Florida native tallied a hat trick and an assist against SUNY Cortland in the NCAA Round of 16 and followed it up with the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Middlebury in the quarterfinals. 

Giammattei was honored this season as a First Team All-NESCAC, All-Region and All-America selection, all honors that he claimed in 2019 as well. In 64 games over his three-year career, Giammattei scored 45 goals and added 12 assists for 102 points.

“My absolute favorite part about German is that as good of a soccer player he is, he’s a better teammate and person,” Serpone said. “If you watch the NCAA press conference after the 2019 Final Four win vs. Centre, a game in which he scored three goals, he spends the entire time deflecting praise and pointing out his teammates. He’s uncommonly unselfish and thoughtful of others, which is a testament to his family and the way that he was raised.

“German has such a bright future and I’ll always be his biggest fan and supporter,” added Serpone. “Amherst soccer is about so much more than soccer and German has embodied so many of the ideals that our culture celebrates. There are so many people proud of him today.”