Stephanie Lopez
Encyclopedia
Stephanie Renee Cox is an American
soccer defender
currently playing for Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer
and is a member of the United States women's national soccer team
.
and attended Elk Grove High School
where she helped lead her soccer team to two league championships. She was named to the all-section team as a junior and senior, won the youth All-American award from NSCAA
and was named a Parade Magazine All-American. On top of her numerous soccer achievements, Stephanie also lettered in basketball for three years and managed to graduate with a 4.17 GPA.
, where she started 23 matches her freshman year. In 2005, after returning to the Pilots following a red shirt season to play for her country, Stephanie helped lead her team to an undefeated record of 23-0-2 and an NCAA Championship
and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. The following season, she started in 13 games and scored her first collegiate goal. In 2007, after she returned from the World Cup, Lopez led the Pilots to 11 straight wins and 10 shutouts and helped her team advance to the NCAA quarterfinals. That year, after the World Cup, Stephanie had a chance to forgo her remaining collegiate eligibility and become a salaried player with the senior national team
, but loyalty to her team and prior commitments led her back to Portland where she graduated with a 3.7 GPA and a psychology degree and a Spanish minor in December 2007. She was honored as the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
winner, recognizing her as the nation's top senior in women's soccer.
in Thailand
; two years later, she captained the US team in the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Championship in Russia
. She made her first Women’s national career start against France at the Algarve Cup
in 2006. Stephanie’s fluid play allows her to snuff out opponents’ threats and transition into the attack while she provides a calm, reassuring influence to her teammates. Her talented play helped the Women's National Team win a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
.
In 2007, Stephanie received the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which is presented to the collegiate athlete who best demonstrates excellence in the classroom and remarkable character within the community, as well as success in athletic competition. 2007 also marked the first time the award was presented to a female soccer player. Cox was also chosen as Oregon's Female Amateur Athlete of the Year for 2007.
coach, Garrett Smith
, said, “Stephanie has been a wonderful ambassador for our soccer program and the University. On the field, Stephanie is the ultimate team player and makes everyone around her better, but that pales in comparison to the impact that she has on others off the field.”
Stephanie lives in Gig Harbor, Washington
with her husband, former University of Portland baseball player Brian Cox.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
currently playing for Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
and is a member of the United States women's national soccer team
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
.
Early years
Stephanie grew up in Elk Grove, CaliforniaElk Grove, California
Elk Grove is a city in Sacramento County, California, located just south of the state capital of Sacramento. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 153,015...
and attended Elk Grove High School
Elk Grove High School (Elk Grove, California)
Elk Grove High School or EGHS, is a public four-year high school located in Elk Grove, California,in the United States. It is part of the Elk Grove Unified School District, which also includes Cosumnes Oaks High School, Florin High School, Franklin High School, Laguna Creek High School, Monterey...
where she helped lead her soccer team to two league championships. She was named to the all-section team as a junior and senior, won the youth All-American award from NSCAA
NSCAA
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. The NSCAA has grown from a handful of college soccer coaches to more than 22,000 members, making it the largest coaching organization in the world. Its members coach at all levels of...
and was named a Parade Magazine All-American. On top of her numerous soccer achievements, Stephanie also lettered in basketball for three years and managed to graduate with a 4.17 GPA.
Collegiate career
Stephanie attended the University of PortlandUniversity of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
, where she started 23 matches her freshman year. In 2005, after returning to the Pilots following a red shirt season to play for her country, Stephanie helped lead her team to an undefeated record of 23-0-2 and an NCAA Championship
NCAA Women's Soccer Championship
NCAA Women's Soccer Championships are divided into three divisions. This article lists NCAA Women's soccer championships.-Division I:The NCAA began conducting a Women's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1982 with a 12-team tournament...
and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. The following season, she started in 13 games and scored her first collegiate goal. In 2007, after she returned from the World Cup, Lopez led the Pilots to 11 straight wins and 10 shutouts and helped her team advance to the NCAA quarterfinals. That year, after the World Cup, Stephanie had a chance to forgo her remaining collegiate eligibility and become a salaried player with the senior national team
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
, but loyalty to her team and prior commitments led her back to Portland where she graduated with a 3.7 GPA and a psychology degree and a Spanish minor in December 2007. She was honored as the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
The Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award is an annual college athletic award in the NCAA Division I. Qualified competitors must be seniors who have remained within their NCAA Division I college for a four-year commitment and achieved excellence in one of nine sports.....
winner, recognizing her as the nation's top senior in women's soccer.
National Team career
Stephanie became involved in the US National Team Youth program in 2000. At the U-20 level, she played at the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship
-Group B:---------------------Group C:--------------------- Knockout Map :-Quarterfinals:-------------Semifinals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-All star team:-Goalscorers:...
in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
; two years later, she captained the US team in the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Championship in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. She made her first Women’s national career start against France at the Algarve Cup
Algarve Cup
The Algarve Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football . Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious women's football events, alongside the Women's World Cup and Women's Olympic Football...
in 2006. Stephanie’s fluid play allows her to snuff out opponents’ threats and transition into the attack while she provides a calm, reassuring influence to her teammates. Her talented play helped the Women's National Team win a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
.
In 2007, Stephanie received the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which is presented to the collegiate athlete who best demonstrates excellence in the classroom and remarkable character within the community, as well as success in athletic competition. 2007 also marked the first time the award was presented to a female soccer player. Cox was also chosen as Oregon's Female Amateur Athlete of the Year for 2007.
Personal life
In addition to being an extremely successful soccer player, Stephanie is dedicated to bettering the world around her. Having grown up in a foster home where her parents have cared for 88 different foster children to date, Stephanie was taught from a very young age to appreciate everything and to never take anything for granted. She has assisted her parents in leading a group of teens to Egypt to paint an orphanage, traveled to the Bahamas to clear land for construction of a learning center, traveled to Mexico to serve meals to American missionaries and was part of a team that created a Hurricane Katrina fundraiser in 2005. She recently became a spokesperson for Casey Family Services which is the country's largest foster care organization. Her former University of Portland Pilots’Portland Pilots
The Portland Pilots were a Class-B minor league baseball team in Portland, Maine out of the New England League. Created in 1946 as the Portland Gulls, the Pilots lasted until 1949, when the New England League collapsed...
coach, Garrett Smith
Garrett Smith
Garrett Smith is a former U.S. soccer defender who played professionally in the Western Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and Continental Indoor Soccer League. Since 1992, he has served as an assistant coach with the University of Portland’s men’s and...
, said, “Stephanie has been a wonderful ambassador for our soccer program and the University. On the field, Stephanie is the ultimate team player and makes everyone around her better, but that pales in comparison to the impact that she has on others off the field.”
Stephanie lives in Gig Harbor, Washington
Gig Harbor, Washington
Gig Harbor is the name of both a bay on Puget Sound and a city on its shore in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,126 at the 2010 census....
with her husband, former University of Portland baseball player Brian Cox.