Led by senior forward Lindsay Taylor and her Pac-12 Player of the Year award, the top-ranked women’s soccer program swept the annual conference awards, as announced on Wednesday.
In addition to Taylor, forward Chioma Ubogagu was named Freshman of the Year and Paul Ratcliffe picked up his fourth consecutive Coach of the Year award.
It was the third straight year that a Cardinal player has captured the Player of the Year award, as Taylor follows last year’s winner, Christen Press, and Kelley O’Hara in 2009. Taylor, a Los Altos native, led the Pac-12 in points (38) and goals (17) on the way to Stanford’s third consecutive undefeated regular season.
Two days before the Cardinal kicks off postseason play with a first-round NCAA Tournament match at home against Montana on Friday, Stanford had eight players named to the All-Pac-12 teams. Those named to the First Team include Taylor, senior midfielders Camille Levin and Teresa Noyola, junior defender Alina Garciamendez-Rowold and sophomore goalie Emily Oliver. Ubogagu and junior defender Rachel Quon earned Second Team honors, and junior midfielder Mariah Nogueira was an honorable mention pick.
In addition, Ubogagu and defender Kendall Romine both made the All-Freshman Team.
Ratcliffe, a two-time National Coach of the Year, continues to rack up the accolades, as Stanford went 19-0-1 (11-0 Pac-12) in the regular season. Over the past four seasons, his team has gone 37-1 in conference, 49-0-1 at home and 89-4-4 overall.
The Cardinal is trying to win the program’s first national title after losing in the NCAA Championship game the past two seasons. Its postseason road opens on Friday against the Grizzlies at 7 p.m. from Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.
– Miles Bennett-Smith