Morgan Paige Gautrat (; born February 26, 1993) is an American soccer player who plays for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the highest division of women's professional soccer in the United States, and the United States women's national soccer team. She first appeared for the United States national team during a friendly against Korea Republic on June 15, 2013. She has since made 87 total appearances for the team and scored 8 goals.
Gautrat played collegiate soccer with the University of Virginia Cavaliers from 2011 to 2014. In her four years with the Cavaliers, she scored 41 goals and recorded 43 assists, finishing her collegiate career ranked second in career points, second in career assists, and fifth in career goals. Gautrat won the MAC Hermann Trophy in both 2013 and 2014, becoming the fourth women's player to win the award in consecutive years. Following her collegiate career, Gautrat was selected first overall by the Houston Dash in the 2015 NWSL College Draft. Gautrat helped the United States win their titles at the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. At age 22, she was the youngest member of the team at the 2015 World Cup.
Early life
Born in St. Simons Island, Georgia to Vickie and Steve Brian, Morgan was raised with her older sister Jennifer. St. Simon's Island had an immense soccer culture and Gautrat played with girls who were four or five years older than she. Because of her small size among the team, she earned the nickname 'Plankton.' Gautrat eventually went on to play with the Ponte Vedra Storm in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where she played from U-12 to U-19. However, the team played as the Clay County Soccer Club for their U-19-year. While with the Storm, Gautrat won state championships at the U-17 and U-19 levels. In their U-19-year, as the Clay County Soccer Club, the team won the 2012 United States Youth Soccer National Championship. Gautrat missed the championships, as she was with the United States U-20 women's national team.
Gautrat tried out for the Olympic Development Program state team in Florida along with all of her teammates from the Ponte Vedra Storm. She did not make the ODP team that first year; however she used that as motivation to train harder. She eventually made the state, regional, and national ODP teams. Regarding her experience playing in ODP, Gautrat stated that is "was what got [her] recognized in the beginning."
Gautrat attended Frederica Academy in St. Simon's Island from 2007 to 2011, where she played soccer all four years and helped the team win four consecutive state titles. In addition to soccer, Gautrat also played varsity basketball as an eighth-grader, freshman, sophomore, and senior. She received both All-Region and All-State recognition for basketball.
Gautrat ended her high school soccer career with 186 goals and 95 assists. She was a two-time Parade All-American and two-time Gatorade Georgia State Player of the Year. In 2010, she was named an NSCAA High School and Youth All-American and was also the 2010 NSCAA Youth Player of the Year as well as the 2010 Parade National Player of the Year. In 2011, she was named Gatorade National Player of the Year. Gautrat was also the first soccer player to be honored as the Gatorade National Female Athlete of the Year in 2011.
University of Virginia Cavaliers, 2011–2014
Gautrat attended the University of Virginia. As a first year in 2011, she started in 22 games and appeared in 23 of the 24 total matches. As a midfielder, she was the second-leading scorer for the Cavaliers with 11 goals and eight assists. She was named the Soccer America National Freshman of the Year, NSCAA First-Team All-American, Second-Team Soccer America MVP and was a semi-finalist for the Hermann Trophy. She was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-ACC.
During her second year, Gautrat appeared in 15 games, starting 13, after missing the beginning of the season due to representing the United States at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup where she helped the US take home gold. Gautrat scored four goals and served seven assists for the Cavaliers. She was named NSCAA 1st Team All-Southeast Region, First Team All-ACC, ACC Tournament MVP as well as Second Team Soccer America MVP, Second Team TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Season, and First Team VaSID All-State.