College Soccer Stars Affected By Pac-12, Big Ten Postponements

College football received most of the headlines following Tuesday’s announcements that the Big Ten and Pac-12 are postponing fall sports, but it wasn’t the only casualty. Women’s and men’s soccer are among the other sports that won’t be played within the conferences this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Big Ten and Pac-12 are home to some of the best soccer teams, and players, in the NCAA, including the reigning national champions. The Stanford women’s team won’t get the chance to defend its title after beating North Carolina in last year’s championship game. At least not in 2020.

The Pac-12 led the way, tied with the ACC, with nine bids in the 2019 Women's College Cup. Washington State and UCLA, also Pac-12 programs, reached the Final Four.

Catarina Macario has proved to be the sport’s top star since she got to Stanford, winning the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy as the top female collegiate soccer player for the second consecutive season in 2019. Macario led the country with 32 goals and 23 assists as a junior, becoming the first player in 13 years to first in atop both categories.

Macario recorded the third-most points in any single season. She led the Cardinal to a program-record 102 goals.

Stanford defender Naomi Girma is also among the country’s top stars. Girma was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and the Defensive MVP for the College Cup.

The Stanford men’s team is also one of the best in the nation. The Cardinal ranked as the No.4 men’s soccer team last year, losing to eventual champion Georgetown in the semifinals of the Men’s College Cup.

Stanford midfielder Ousseni Bouda was primed potentially to become an even bigger star in 2020 after being named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. Bouda was second on the team in goals and points. He was the only freshman who was also an All-Pac-12 First-Team selection.

Washington was one of the last eight teams standing, losing to Georgetown in the tournament’s quarterfinals. Indiana was the No.9 ranked team in men’s NCAA soccer.

Other fall sports affected by the postponements are men's and women's cross country, women's field hockey, women's volleyball and men's water polo. Both conferences said sports would be played in the spring, if possible.