Mallory Pughof Mountain Vista High School (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) has been named 2014-15 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Pugh, who started for the USA at the 2014U-20 World Cup and is eligible for the 2016 U-20 World Cup, had 24 goals and 12 assists for Mountain Vista during her junior season of 2015.
Pugh, who has verbally committed to UCLA for the fallof 2016, plays club ball for Real Colorado.
Five of the previous winners — Amy Rodriguez, Ashlyn Harris, Morgan Brian, Heather O’Reilly, Lauren (née Cheney) Holiday –are on the USA’s roster for this summer’s Women’s World Cup.
Mallory Pugh Photo by Susan Goldman courtesy of Gatorade
Pugh is now a finalist for the Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year award, tobe presented at a special ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.
Gatorade National Girls Player of the Year
2014-15 MalloryPugh
2013-14 Katie Cousins
2012-13 Morgan Andrews
2011-12 Morgan Andrews
2010-11 Morgan Brian
2009-10 Mollie Pathman
2008-09 Rachel Quon
2007-08 Teresa Noyola
2006-07 Melissa Henderson
2005-06 Lauren Cheney
2004-05 Amy Rodriguez
2003-04 Ashlyn Harris
2002-03 Heather O’Reilly
2001-02 Jill Oakes
2000-01 Mary McDowell
1999-00 Aleisha Cramer-Rose
1998-99 Christie Welsh
1997-98 Aly Wagner
congratulations to Mallory Pugh, who is a worthy winner of this award. I’d point out that we have lots of attacking talent in this country, but what we don’t have are world class defenders. There was just one defender to win this award in the past 15 years–is that because we as a nation don’t value defending (outside of keepers) or there are no top defenders in the game? Championships are built on solid defense, but who out there is advocating for defenders? And I don’t mean big beefy head-the-ball-away, kick-and-run defenders; I mean intelligent, ball-handling backs who are tough and smart and have good passing range. Who can get the ball to midfielders on the ground without resorting to the long ball. Could it be our coaches can’t develop the required skill set so it never happens?