Two Stanford Women's Soccer Players Make National Player of the Year Watchlist

This season, Stanford women’s soccer has been one of the best teams in the country, and their success on the pitch has been undeniable.

Through 11 games so far, the Cardinal are 9-1-1, losing to just UCLA and drawing with Clemson, both on the road. Their wins, however, are immensely impressive. They have taken down powerhouses such as Santa Clara, USC, Arizona, Pitt, and others, and look like one of the best teams in America as their No. 3 overall ranking would suggest.

The roster is absolutely stacked, with stars on the attack, midfield, defense, and even in goal. But two players have truly stood out as not just some of the best players on the team, but in the nation. That’s why midfielder Jasmine Aikey and defender Elise Evans have both been nominated for the Mac Hermann trophy, awarded to the nation’s top player.

The Stanford women are two of 35 players that made the list. Aikey is one of six midfielders, and Evans is one of 10 defenders. They are two of 15 ACC players on the list.

Both hope to become the sixth Cardinal to ever win the award, joining elite talent with Kelly O'Hara in 2009, Christen Press in 2010, Teresa Noyola in 2011, Andi Sullivan in 2017, and Catarina Macario who won it back to back in 2018 and 2019. These two aim to etch their name in Stanford history as some of the greatest players in the programs’ history.

This season, Aikey has absolutely deserved her spot. In 11 games played, Aikey has scored nine goals and racked up four assists, despite technically being a midfielder. She has been completely dominant, just like her teammate, Evans.

Evans has played in every single game, and has started each one. Not only has she led the team in minutes with 912, but the defense has allowed just seven goals in 11 games this season. Even offensively, Evans has been great, scoring three goals and providing three assists as a defender.

Aikey and Evans have been absolutely crucial to the Cardinal’s success this season. With Aikey’s offensive flare and playmaking ability to go along with Evans’s ability to navigate and control the game with pace has turned Stanford into an unstoppable force this season.

Stanford still has six regular season games left, with all six being ACC battles. From there, they'll play in the conference tournament, and finally the NCAA Tournament, with the hope of also competing in the College Cup. The Cardinal have been rolling, and it’s largely due to Aikey and Evans, who have ended up competing for the best player in the country.