Former Stanford goaltender in the hearts of USA players at the Women’s World Cup

AUCKLAND – Sophia Smith pretended to close her lips as she celebrated her second goal against Vietnam during USA’s opening match at the Women’s World Cup. It was a tribute to former Stanford teammate Katie Meyer, who committed suicide last year.

Smith and teammate Naomi Girma opted to pay tribute to Meyer, the 2019 NCAA Championship goalie star at Stanford. She fended off two penalty shots in the title game. Meyer, an exuberant California girl known for her boisterous celebrations, made the gesture after her first penalty to silence anyone who doubted Stanford.

Girma was one of Meyer’s best friends. She penned a tribute to Meyer, which was published by The Players’ Tribune at the start of the World Cup.

“Na (Naomi) and I talked about it before the game and we were like, ‘What can we do for Katie?'” Smith said. “And it was quite iconic: what she did in the College Cup. We just wanted to honor them in every way. So that was for Katie.”

Girma said the gesture was Meyer’s “point of contact,” and she and her teammates have made it a point to discuss mental health publicly since Meyer’s death.

“We see this as an opportunity to shed light on many things that are important to us,” said Girma. “I think that’s been at the core of this team for so long and that we’re stepping in now and carrying on that legacy is something that’s really important to us.”

Meyer’s family said the 21-year-old was troubled by a disciplinary email she received from the school before her death. Last November, they filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university.

The US team won its first game at the World Cup 3-0. Smith finished the game with two goals.

Next up for the Americans is a game against the Netherlands – the team that defeated the USA in the 2019 World Cup final – in Wellington on Thursday.

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More coverage of the AP Women’s World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup