Stanford senior goalkeeper Katie Meyer, whose save from a penalty was one of the most memorable moments of the NCAA Women’s Championship in 2019, has died, the school said.
The school first mentioned death at a campus residence on Tuesday, but did not release a name until the family was notified. This gave no cause of death. The school said that the consulting staff was on site at her residence, and the athletics consulting staff worked with student athletes.
Mayer was a major in international relations with a minor in history. She was also a permanent assistant and captain of Stanford’s women’s soccer team. She has one older sister and one younger sister and turned 22 in January.
“Katie was extremely committed to everything and everyone in her world,” said Stanford Vice Vice President of Student Affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole and Athletics Director Bernard Muir in a letter to the community.. “Her friends describe her as a team player who is bigger than life in all her pursuits, from choosing an academic discipline, which she said “changed my worldview and the very important challenges we need to work together to to overcome ”to the passion that she introduced into Cardinal’s women’s football program and women’s sport in general. Fiercely competitive, Katie made two critical saves penalties against North Carolina to help Stanford win her third NCAA Women’s Football Championship in 2019. Katie was a bright light for so many on the field and in our community. “
It was her celebration during penalties in the 2019 NCAA Women’s College Cup match that appealed to fans across the country, while irritating others. Stanford and North Carolina were tied after the regulation and continued at 0-0 in both overtimes. This sent the game to penalties for the first time in the history of the NCAA Championship.
Mayer saved the first attempt for a penalty, but the parties scored a draw 4-4. Mayer then saved another blow to keep him there, and celebrated in front of the camera near the doorway. Chiara Pickett scored to give Stanford a 5-4 lead and a third title in the program.
While many liked it, others said it had crossed the line, and some made sexist comments. Mayer addressed these comments – noting that she was 19 at the time and therefore had never been “there before” – in an interview with Just Women’s Sports in January 2020.
“In the future, I hope that if the girls react again in this way, which will happen because women are cruel and everyone loves to play and compete – I hope the reaction will remain positive. In the end, I’m glad that the conversation we started, that women are competitive, because that’s us. We are getting hot right now. You can find this competitiveness everywhere, from lawyers, through mothers, to one day, the future woman president. People just have to take a step back and ask themselves, why do I think so? Why am I so shocked by a woman who shows her passion? “
Mayer continued to be an intern at JWS, which was founded by Stanford graduate Hailey Rosen.
Stanford called on everyone to check on their friends and loved ones, to “take care of themselves and each other” and said there would be more opportunities to honor and remember Mayer as a community.