It has been announced that Pac-12 Player of the Year and recent U.S. Women’s National Team call-up Andi Sullivan tore her ACL. Sullivan suffered injury during Stanford’s post-season run in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, where they fell 1-0 to Santa Clara in the second overtime period. Before the injury, the midfielder led her team with eight shots, six of them on goal.

Sullivan a star for Stanford

The junior midfielder has been up and coming since she arrived at Stanford. She was Top Drawer Soccer’s number one recruit of 2014, being a three-time Youth All-American and 2013 NSCAA National Youth Player of the Year. In her first season with the Cardinals, Sullivan started in 23 of the 24 matches she played in, recording four assists and scoring the game-winning goal against Dayton - her first collegiate goal. She made the All-Freshman First Team for Top Drawer Soccer, as well as the Pac-12 First Team and NSCAA All-Pacific Region Second Team. She was also awarded Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and named National Freshman of the Year by Top Drawer Soccer and Soccer America.

Her accolades only grew as she continued to bring success to her team. As a sophomore, not only did she made the Pac-12 First Team again, but she made the NSCAA All-Pacific Region First Team and first team All-American. On top of this, Sullivan was a MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist for 2015. In her most recent season in Cardinal red, Sullivan was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Preseason Watch List and Pac-12 First Team for the second year in a row, and most recently has been named Pac-12 Player of the Year.

Sullivan in one of her first matches for the full national team. | Source: Icon Sportswire - Getty Images

Growing up in the red, white and blue

Though she’s one of the many new call-ups by USWNT head coach Jill Ellis, Sullivan isn’t new to the whole national team scene, beginning her youth national team experience at the U-15 level. She helped the U.S. to the U-17 World Cup in 2012 and captained the U-20 World Cup in 2014, starting each game. In 2016, the midfielder attended multiple U-23 Women’s National Team camps. She participated in the Istria Cup in Croatia and the Nordic Tournament in England.

Sullivan was one of three college-aged players to be called into camp by Ellis in October with the full national team. She earned her first appearance against Switzerland starting and playing for the U.S. before being subbed out in the 75th minute. She played again a few nights later, where she logged the full 90 minutes in the USWNT’s second match against Switzerland. The Stanford junior was the only college player to be called in once again for the USWNT’s pair of November friendlies. She once again found herself in the starting lineup against Romania in both matches, playing 61 minutes in the first and the full 90 in the second.

The midfielder still has one more year of eligibility left with Stanford. We hope she has a speedy recovery.

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