Bauer among elite

"I love my teammates," Maddie Bauer said. "We have a core of nearly 10 players. My confidence level of communicating to my team has gotten better. I've kind of been an organizer, telling them where to go."

For Maddie Bauer, committing to Stanford over UCLA was nearly a no-brainer. Born in Newport Beach, her family moved to the Bay Area, then they moved back to Newport Beach when Maddie was in fifth grade. Her grandfather who she's never met, Gale Whiting, attended Stanford. In addition to that, a few former members of her soccer team, Slammers FC, went on to star at Stanford. One of them is former Soccer America Player of the Year Christen Press, a forward who played in two straight NCAA championship games.

At Stanford, Press set school records with 71 goals and 41 assists during her four-year career. Press won the Hermann Trophy, college soccer's most prestigious award, and was the No. 4 pick for the Women's Professional Soccer League draft, later winning the league's Rookie of the Year award. Camile Levin, whose younger sister, Savannah, played with Maddie Bauer on the Slammers FC team, and Mariah Noguiera are others who Bauer idolized while growing up.

"Stanford offers me everything," Maddie Bauer said. "It offers the best education, it's the best university on the West Coast. I've always been in California, it's very familiar, it's comfortable for me. Plus it has one of the best soccer teams in the country."

Maddie Bauer comes from an athletic family. Her father is Doug Bauer, who played wide receiver for the University of Oregon from 1980-1983, and he has competed in half-triathlons for several years. She has an older brother who plays lacrosse for St. Margaret's, and the two have been counselors in summer camps for disabled children. She has a 14-year-old, 6-foot tall younger brother who plays wide receiver and is set to attend Mater Dei this fall.

While playing for Mater Dei, Maddie Bauer was a key member of a team that reached the quarterfinal round of the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs, losing to eventual champion Aliso Niguel. The Monarchs were third in the Trinity League.

"My high school coach [Matty West], let me miss two early-season tournaments," Bauer said.

Kathleen Bauer added, "that school has been so supportive of what she's trying to get done. Every coach and teacher has been so understandable and has helped her achieve her dreams."

West said in an e-mail that if he had to pick one moment Maddie Bauer shined in, it was against Los Alamitos.

"It was an intense game that was tied at 1 late in regulation," West said. "We had a corner kick with five minutes remaining in the game. Maddie made a great run to the far-post and pinged a volley that flew into the back of the net with authority. It was a really exciting moment for the team and I was so proud of Maddie for making such an important contribution when we needed it most."