Major League Soccer announced today that MetroStars forward Clint Mathis has been selected by the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA) as MLS Player of the Month for the month of May. In six starts, Mathis netted five goals and two assists, for an impressive total of 12 points for the month.

A standout on the U.S. National Team, Mathis leads MLS in scoring with seven goals and four assists (18 points). Mathis also netted the game-winner in last Saturday's 2-0 shutout victory over European Champions Bayern Munich in an international exhibition at Giants Stadium.

?This is a great honor but something that actually belongs as much to my teammates as it would to me because they are the ones that make everything happen and I just benefit from it,? Mathis said.

Mathis fashioned a hat trick versus Kansas City on May 2 to single-handedly erase a 1-0 deficit against the reigning league champs. The Conyers, Georgia native scored goals with his right foot on a free kick (16th minute), left foot (32nd minute) and a head (49th minute) against one of the best defensive units in the league.

On May 5, the 5-foot-10-inch Mathis keyed a dramatic second-half comeback by the Metros over D.C. United. Faced with a 2-0 deficit, and just 11 minutes left to play, Mathis pounded home a loose ball in the box to spark a three-goal MetroStars surge. Mathis then set the table for the game-tying score in the 88th minute when he sent a cross to forward Alex Comas who one-timed a pass that midfielder Rodrigo Faria placed past D.C. 'keeper Mike Ammann.

Mathis stretched his MLS point streak to six games when he scored a goal and assist on May 12, in the Metros' 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy. Mathis set up Petter Villegas' game-winning score in the 53rd minute, when his free kick caromed off the crossbar to the unmarked Villegas. In the 77th minute, Pedro Alvarez found the University of South Carolina product at the top of the penalty area where Mathis sent a right-footed, diagonal shot past Kevin Hartman to the left post.

Mathis, who last season garnered the MLS June Player of the Month award, outdistanced Miami Fusion 'keeper Nick Rimando for the league's monthly honors. Mathis was also selected as MLS Player of the Week in week five of this season and over two consecutive weeks (weeks 22 and 23) of the 2000 campaign.

The MLS Player of the Month is selected by a panel of journalists from the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA).