Gatorade® National Girls Soccer Player Of The Year: Morgan Andrews

MILFORD, N.H., May 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 28^th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Morgan Andrews of Milford High School (Milford, N.H.) as its 2012-13 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Andrews was surprised with the news during an assembly by three-time gold medalist Heather O'Reilly.

"When I received the Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award in 2004, it was such a special moment for me as an athlete.  I'm grateful to be a part of this moment for Morgan, who is truly a phenomenal student-athlete on and off the pitch," said O'Reilly. "Gatorade has been on the sidelines fueling athletic performance for years, so to be recognized by a brand that understands the game and truly helps athletes perform is a huge honor for these kids."

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Andrews as the nation's best high school girls soccer player.  A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Andrews from nearly 400,000 girls soccer players nationwide. Andrews is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.

The returning Gatorade National Player of the Year and the two-time returning Gatorade State Player of the Year, the 5-foot-9 senior forward led the Spartans to a 16-3-1 record and the Division II state title this past season. Andrews scored 31 goals and passed for 18 assists, notching both goals in Milford's 2-1 win over Souhegan High in the state final. Andrews is the captain of the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Women's National Team and a member of the Under-20 and Under-23 National Team player pools. The 2012 National Soccer Coaches Association of America High School Player of the Year and a three-time NSCAA All-American selection, she concluded her prep soccer career with 114 goals and 53 assists.

Andrews is only the ninth two-time winner in history. She has maintained a 3.13 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach and mentor in addition to founding and actively promoting the "Kicks for Cans" charity program that involved coaches and players donating their time in exchange for canned goods that are brought to area food banks.

"I can talk to you about Morgan Andrews all day," said Albertin Montoya, head coach of the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Women's National Team at the 2012 FIFA U-17 World Cup. "I think the world of this kid. She's an incredible leader. She's humble, driven, she's a captain. She's separate from the pack. On the field, she's as good as it gets. Technique, vision, she's special. Her understanding, her capability to control the game. Special. She's driven to be the best. Andrews is the most complete player I've encountered at her age."

Andrews has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at the University of Notre Dame beginning this fall.

"Without question, Morgan is deserving of recognition as the nation's best high school girls soccer player based on her statistics on the pitch and the impact her accomplishments have had on Milford High School's success," said Gatorade Vice President, Global & Sports Marketing Andrea Fairchild. "But she is also a shining example to peers and aspiring young athletes of what a leader and a student-athlete should be.  She represents everything we hope for in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient."

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Former notable Gatorade National Players of the Year include:

• Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning
• WNBA all-time leading scorer and rebounder Lisa Leslie
• NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith
• Two-time beach volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh
• Three-time 200-meter World Champion Allyson Felix

For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of former winners, and future announcement dates, visit the Gatorade Player of the Year Web site at http://www.gatorade.com/poy, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatorade.

SOURCE The Gatorade Company