STANFORD, Calif. – Catarina Macario and Naomi Girma have been named semifinalists for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, the highest individual honor in college soccer.
Stanford is one of three programs with multiple semifinalists – it is the fourth season in a row Stanford has had multiple semifinalists and the seventh time, overall. Last season, Macario became Stanford's fifth winner of the award, joining Kelley O'Hara (2009), Christen Press (2010), Teresa Noyola (2011) and Andi Sullivan (2017).
The duo led Stanford to its unprecedented fifth-consecutive outright Pac-12 championship this season. Entering Friday's NCAA Quarterfinal against No. 4 BYU, the Cardinal has won 16 straight with a 67-6 goal difference since its only loss of the season on Sept. 13.
Macario, the two-time reigning ESPNW Player of the Year and Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year, leads the NCAA in virtually every offensive category – goals (30), goals per game (1.36), assists (23), assists per game (1.05), points (83), points per game (3.77), game-winning goals (11) and shots per game (6.50).
Girma, the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, has served as a team captain this season while playing nearly every minute at center back. Stanford has earned the shutout in 12 of its last 13 games and allowed just four goals in Pac-12 play.
No. 1 Stanford hosts No. 4 BYU on Friday at 3 p.m. in a bid to book its 10th trip to the College Cup and ninth in the last 12 seasons.