STANFORD, Calif. – Freshman attacker Catarina Macario was named ESPNW Player of the Year, as announced Tuesday by the organization.
"What separates her is her technical ability but also her brain for the game," said 15th-year head coach Paul Ratcliffe, who has coached five National Players of the Year. "She's a very intelligent player, and then she's a good athlete as well. The amount of goals she has scored is difficult to do for a senior, let alone a freshman. That's truly remarkable."
Macario, who originally hails from Sao Luis, Brazil, leads Division I players in points (47) and assists (13), leading the Pac-12 and ranking fourth, nationally, with 17 goals. The freshman, who prepped at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, set program records for freshman in virtually every offensive category, also climbing several single-season top-10 lists.
Macario was named Pac-12 Forward of the Year, Freshman of the Year and a member of the All-Pac-12 first team after leading the league in every offensive category during the regular season. She is Stanford's sixth national player of the year honoree, joining Julie Foudy (1991 Soccer America Player of the Year), Kelley O'Hara (2009 Hermann Trophy winner), Christen Press (2010 Hermann Trophy winner), Lindsay Taylor (2011 Soccer America Player of the Year) and Teresa Noyola (2011 Hermann Trophy winner).
A good time to read this if haven't:https://t.co/jo6GFpdQNO https://t.co/2rCif7p1j5
— Julie Foudy (@JulieFoudy) November 25, 2017
In postseason play, Macario has three goals and three assists, including a goal and two helpers in Stanford's opening-round win over Utah Valley. In the second minute of Stanford's 4-0 quarterfinal win over Penn State, Macario netted a phenomenal 25-yard free kick, her third such strike of the season.
She scored at least once in each of the Cardinal's first seven games, with assists in each of the last four during that span. Over her last nine games, she has eight goals and six assists, including two spectacular goals against Oregon (Oct. 19) and an equally impressive free kick during a 3-1 win at No. 5 USC (Oct. 29).
Entering the College Cup, Macario's 47 points ties with Taylor (2011) for fifth on the all-time single-season list. Her 17 goals passes Sarah Rafanelli (1992), Press (2008) and Taylor (2008) for fifth on the single-season list, while her 13 assists ties Marcie Ward (2002), Foudy (1992) and O'Hara (2009) for fourth. Her 128 shots sit fourth on the all-time list, passing Chioma Ugogagu (2014) and Taylor (2011) in the win over Penn State.
Stanford opens the College Cup on Friday when it takes on South Carolina at 2 p.m. PT on ESPNU.
Past Winners
2016 – Kadeisha Buchanan (West Virginia)
2015 – Emily Sonnett (Virginia)
2014 – Samantha Mewis (UCLA)
2013 – Morgan Brian (Virginia)