The women’s college soccer season begins next week, offering a blank slate for new legends to emerge and stamp their legacy on the beautiful game. The TDS Player of the Year award is at the top of it all, awarded annually to the most impactful star of the collegiate season. With the excitement for the season at a fever pitch, here is a look back at the legends who have won the TDS POTY trophy and what they are up to now.

Teresa Noyola, Stanford (2011)

Teresa Noyola won the inaugural award for Stanford back in 2011 after providing 15 assists and scoring nine, including the College Cup winner, for the Cardinal. The Mexican/American midfielder would play briefly in the Netherlands before joining the Seattle Reign for the inaugural NWSL season in 2012. Noyola went on to make 40 appearances for the Mexican national team, scoring three goals and playing in two World Cups.

Christine Nairn, Penn State (2012)

Nair won the 2012 award as a senior, scoring 17 and assisting 12 to lead Penn State to the College Cup final. The Maryland native was drafted seventh by the Seattle Reign, the beginning of a long NWSL career which included stops with the Washington Spirit, Orlando Pride, and Houston Dash. Nair made two appearances for the USWNT, both in the summer before her freshman year at Penn State. She retired from professional soccer in 2021.

Morgan Brian, Virginia (2013 & 2014)

As the first player to win the award twice, Brian was unstoppable from 2013 to 2014 for Virginia, accounting for 26 goals and 28 assists while leading the team to back-to-back College Cup appearances. The versatile midfielder was selected first in the subsequent NWSL draft by the Houston Dash, kicking off a professional career where she currently features for the Orlando Pride. The Georgia native has made 88 appearances for the USWNT, the most of any POTY winner, and was part of the World Cup-winning teams of 2015 and 2019.

Raquel Rodriguez, Penn State (2015)

Rodriguez, Costa Rica-born, moved to the United States to attend Penn State, later becoming a legend after captaining her team to the 2015 College Cup title, where she scored the game-winner. The skilled attacker was selected second in the draft by Sky Blue FC (now Gotham FC), and was named the 2016 NWSL Rookie of the Year. The Penn State icon is arguably the best Costa Rican player ever, as she delivered the country’s first-ever World Cup goal in 2015 and has made 107 appearances, scoring 58. Rodriguez is on the Kansas City Current roster as of today.

Kadeisha Buchanan, West Virginia (2016)

Speaking of icons, Buchanan is both a college and professional soccer legend as one of the best women to ever kick a ball. Her exploits began at West Virginia, where the Canadian center back captained the Mountaineers to a Cinderella 2016 College Cup final appearance, highlighted by an absurd mid-season run when the team earned ten consecutive clean sheets in the loaded Big 12 conference. Buchanan then skipped the NWSL route, instead joining Lyon in France, where she would go on to win five Champions League titles before signing for Chelsea in 2022. On the national team scale, the Toronto native won an Olympic Gold Medal with Canada in 2020, was named FIFA’s Best Young Player at the 2015 World Cup, and is a three-time recipient of the Canadian Player of the Year trophy. Her 154 appearances to date are also the sixth most in Canadian history.

Andi Sullivan, Stanford (2017)

Sullivan captained Stanford to the 2017 College Cup trophy, scoring once in the final 3-2 victory over UCLA. The Hawaii native was then selected first by the Washington Spirit in the 2018 draft, a decision that proved excellent as she has spent her entire professional career with the club, making over 100 appearances. The Stanford legend has made 52 appearances for the USWNT, winning a few trophies along the way.

Catarina Macario, Stanford (2018 & 2019)

As one of the best players in college soccer history, Macario was simply unstoppable during her three-year stint at Stanford, capped off by an absurd junior campaign where she scored 32 and assisted 23 to lead the Cardinal to the 2019 College Cup. Before that, she contributed 17 goals and 16 assists as a freshman on the 2017 championship team, then won the 2018 POTY award after leading Stanford to another College Cup appearance. Macario was another to skip the NWSL route, just like Buchanan, signing for Lyon and scoring in the 2022 Champions League Final victory before joining Chelsea as a free transfer in 2023. The Brazilian-born American citizen opted for the USWNT, where she has made 25 appearances and scored 11 goals.

Kelsey Turnbow, Santa Clara (2020)

Turnbow was the star of the Santa Clara team that ended a 19-year College Cup trophy drought in 2020. The Arizona native was then drafted 18th by the Chicago Red Stars but chose to return to Santa Clara, leading the Broncos to the College Cup semifinal. The San Diego Wave traded for Turnbow’s rights after the 2021 season, where she would play a couple of seasons of professional soccer and win the 2023 NWSL shield before retiring in 2024.

Mikayla Colohan, BYU (2021)

A BYU and Utah soccer legend, Colohan concluded her college career by scoring 18 and assisting 15 to lead the Cougars to their first College Cup final appearance in 2021. Colohan was then selected 14th overall by the Orlando Pride, where she made over 50 appearances before her trade to the Utah Royals in 2023.

Korbin Albert, Notre Dame (2022)

Although it was brief, Albert made the most of her college soccer career as one of the best individual players of the 21st century. The Illinois native joined Notre Dame as a two-time ECNL Player of the Year and quickly lived up to those standards by winning TDS Freshman of the Year in 2021 and Player of the Year in 2022. Albert skipped the NWSL route, signing for PSG in France after her sophomore season, quickly becoming one of the best young midfielders in professional soccer. Now contracted to Lyon, the Eclipse Select product has made 26 appearances for the national team, most notably starting in the Olympic Gold Medal-winning victory over Brazil.

Lexi Missimo, Texas (2023)

One of the best college soccer players ever, Missimo won the 2023 award after a legendary junior season, delivering 26 goals and 20 assists in 24 matches. While her senior season with the Longhorns was not as dominant, Missimo still managed 12 goals and 15 assists for one of the best teams in the country. The Texas native then turned heads when she turned down the NWSL and international opportunities to sign with the Dallas Trinity in the inaugural USL Super League season.

Kate Faasse, North Carolina (2024)

Faasse won the 2024 award after scoring a national-best 20 goals to lead North Carolina to its first College Cup trophy in 12 years. With that season, the Arizona native joined Macario and two others as the fourth player of the 21st century to win the College Cup while leading the country in goals. Faasse returns for her senior season as the favorite to win a second TDS Player of the Year trophy.

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