When the NCAA Women’s College Cup takes place at Avaya Stadium this weekend, fans will have an opportunity to root for a historic side (UNC), a surprise challenger (Washington State), a consistent contender (UCLA) and a local powerhouse (Stanford). Regardless of who fans show up to support, one player in particular is worth the price of admission.
Stanford’s Catarina Macario is largely considered the nation’s best amateur player. The native of San Diego arrived at Stanford in 2017 and has done nothing but lead her team to three Pac-12 Championships, three Final Four appearances, one national championship and a chance for another.
Macario has not only demonstrated success by earning All-Pac-12 First Team honors all three seasons but done so while adjusting to new positions. In 2017 and 2018, she was named the Pac-12 Forward of the Year, and then won Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year in 2019.
She’s cleaned up on national awards as well, earning All-America First Team honors in 2017 and 2018 (almost certainly will in 2019 too), and is pursuing her second consecutive MAC Hermann Trophy as the country’s top player. For a full list of awards she’s won, you can check out her bio here.
The 20-year-old is currently a member of the United States U-23 Women’s National Team and was previous involved with U.S. Soccer at the U-14 and U-15 levels.
Stanford’s first match of the 2019 NCAA Women’s College Cup is against UCLA on Friday, Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available here for all three matches of the College Cup.
