Sara Whalen

Sara Eve Hess (Whalen; born April 28, 1976) is a retired American professional Olympic medalist soccer player.

Whalen was the 1995 and 1996 Big East Defensive Player of the Year, before playing striker her senior season where she recorded 21 goals and 22 assists to lead her team in scoring.

In her final season at UConn, Whalen was named Hermann and M.A.C. Trophy finalists.

She also won the Honda Sports Award as the nation's top soccer player.

She finished her college career with 23 goals and 43 assists.

They retired her No. 8 jersey.

Whalen played for the United States Women's National Soccer Team from 1997 to 2000, won an Olympic silver medal with the team, and was a founding player of Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA).

Born in Natick, Massachusetts, to John and Linda Whalen, Sara was raised in Greenlawn, New York, with her sister Deborah, and is Jewish.

She attended Harborfields High School in her hometown, where she played varsity soccer, basketball, and track as a sprinter.

Whalen graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in psychology.

She received her master's degree in psychology from Fordham University, and her doctorate from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

At the University of Connecticut she was a defender and forward for their Huskies women's soccer team.

While playing soccer for Connecticut, Whalen was a three-time All-American and was the 1997 NSCAA Division 1 National Player of the Year, as well as being named to Soccer America's Collegiate Team of the Decade for the 1990s.

She scored both goals in the 1997 NCAA Final Four semifinal match against Notre Dame, as Connecticut won 2–1 to record one of the biggest upsets in NCAA women's soccer history by defeating the previously unbeaten Irish.

In 1997, Whalen began her career for the United States women's national soccer team as an outside defender.

She earned her first cap against France, while still in college.

From 1997 through 1999, Whalen played for the club team the Long Island Lady Riders.

In 1997, Whalen helped the Riders win the USL W-League Champions.

The following year, 1998, Whalen had a very successful season scoring two goals and garnering three assists.

Her role on the team was constantly redefined.

She usually appeared as a late game substitute to add attacking speed from a wild midfield post.

Because of her versatility, she could either increase the attacking pressure or function as a defensive midfielder as the game situation demands.

In 1998, she returned to play for the Lady Riders but due to her commitment to the Women's National Team she was not able to return until after the World Cup.

In 1999, Whalen helped the US Women's National Team win the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.

This group is famously dubbed the "99er's"; each player helped change the face of women's sports forever.

The World Cup was hosted in the United States in various stadiums including the Rose Bowl, Soldier Field, and Sanford Stadium.

In the final game against China, neither side had scored and the game moved from extra time to penalty kicks.

Whalen played every minute of extra-time in the final against China.

Although she did not take a penalty kick, Whalen was the first to run up to Brandi Chastain after she secured the victory for the United States.

Both were featured on the cover of Time Magazine and today it is still one of the most iconic images in sports history.

Whalen was one of the 20 founding players; a lot of which players were a part of the 1999 World Cup team including Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, and Michelle Akers.

The following year, Whalen won a silver medal as a part of the US Women's Team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

They lost to Norway in the final game 3–2.

From 2001 through 2002, Whalen played for the New York Power where she made 31 appearances.

Her season was cut short due to injury.

In 2001, Whalen was a founding player of the Women's United Soccer Association, playing alongside US teammates Christie Pearce and Tiffeny Milbrett for the New York Power.

This was the world's first women's soccer league in which all of the players were paid as professionals.

On June 26, 2002, in a game against the Carolina Courage, Whalen tore her ACL and MCL in a collision with German international Birgit Prinz.

This occurred just after recovering from a broken rib.

Whalen had surgery, but noticed her knee was infected shortly thereafter.