Ava Cook (born October 3, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Grand Valley State Lakers and the Michigan State Spartans. She was selected by the Red Stars in the 2022 NWSL Draft.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | October 3, 1998[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Battle Creek, Michigan | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Chicago Red Stars | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2021 | Grand Valley State Lakers | 82 | (74) |
| 2021 | Michigan State Spartans | 17 | (7) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022– | Chicago Red Stars | 42 | (6) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022 | United States U23 | 2 | (2) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of April 24, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of April 24, 2024 | |||
Early life
editCook grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan, and played high school soccer and basketball for Lakeview High School.[2][3] She played youth soccer for Midwest United.[2]
College career
editCook played four years of NCAA Division II college soccer at Grand Valley State University from 2017 to 2021, winning Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) titles in all four seasons.[2][4] She was named second-team All-American and first-team All-GLIAC after leading the conference with 24 goals as a sophomore in 2018.[2] She was named first-team All-American after leading Division II with 29 goals as a junior in 2019.[2] She transferred to Michigan State University for a fifth season and was named second-team All-Big Ten after leading the team with seven goals.[5]
Club career
editThe Chicago Red Stars selected Cook 18th overall in the second round of the 2022 NWSL Draft.[3][6] She became a regular player and then starter for the Red Stars, appearing in 19 games of the 24-game NWSL season in 2022 and 20 games in 2023.[7]
In mid-April 2024, after appearing in 3 games of the NWSL season, Cook tore her ACL, causing her to miss the remainder of the season.[7][8]
International career
editCook was called up to the United States national under-23 team for a friendly tournament in June 2022.[9] She scored her first goal for the team against India on June 26 and scored again against Sweden on June 28.[10][11]
References
edit- ^ "Ava Cook". Chicago Red Stars. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Ava Cook – 2020 – Women's Soccer". Grand Valley State Lakers. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Broderick, Bill (December 21, 2021). "Battle Creek soccer standout Ava Cook turns pro, sees 'dream come true'". Battle Creek Enquirer. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Carlson, Joshua (September 20, 2020). "Ava Cook remains motivated despite no fall soccer season". Grand Valley Lanthorn. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ "Ava Cook – Women's Soccer". Michigan State Spartan Athletics. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ Braun, Jessa (September 29, 2022). "How Red Stars Rookie Ava Cook Defied Doubters to Reach NWSL". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ a b "Ava Cook". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ "Chicago Red Stars Place Forward, Ava Cook, on Season-Ending Injury List". Chicago Red Stars. April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ "Former soccer standout Ava Cook called up to U.S.A. U-23 team". Grand Valley State Lakers. June 16, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Under-23 Women's Youth National Team Defeats India 4-1 In First Of Two Matches In Sweden". www.ussoccer.com. June 26, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Under-23 Women's Youth National Team Defeats Sweden 3-0 On Goals From Alyssa Thompson, Ava Cook And Kerry Abello". www.ussoccer.com. June 28, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
External links
edit- Ava Cook at Soccerway
- Ava Cook at the Chicago Red Stars
- Ava Cook National Women's Soccer League profile