2016: Started 11 times in 19 appearances… Recorded a pair of goals, finding the back of the net vs. Coastal Carolina (10/16) and Appalachian State (10/23)… Played all 90 minutes in shutout win against Coastal Carolina (11/6) in Sun Belt Tournament final and tallied two shots… Put two of her three shots on goal vs. Texas State (10/14).
2015: Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year… First Team all-Sun Belt Conference… Started all 23 contests… Ranked fifth on the team in goals (6), sixth in points (14) and tied for fourth in game-winning goals (2)… Recorded hat trick in 4-1 victory vs. Arkansas State (10/25), earning her Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week honors… Also found the net vs. Louisiana Tech (8/28), Marquette (9/17) and Troy (9/25); the goals against La Tech and Troy were game winners… Tied match against Marquette with late second-half goal… On field for team-high 2,093 minutes… Team tied for first in the league in shutouts (10) and was second in goals allowed (0.96) and goals against average (0.92).
2014: First-Team all-Sun Belt Conference… Started 22 times in 23 games played… Played major role in defense that allowed just 22 goals all season with a school-record 12 shutouts… Defense held eight opponents to single-digit shots, including a combined seven in back-to-back victories over Southern Mississippi (9/5) and Southern (9/7), and 14 in league wins vs. Georgia Southern (10/17) and Georgia State (10/19)… Scored four goals, the second-most by a USA defender… Two goals were match winners: vs. North Florida (9/19) in 1-0 victory and at Arkansas State (10/24), a 4-1 win that clinched the regular-season title… Found the back of the net in back-to-back outings vs. Louisiana-Monroe (10/3) and Louisiana-Lafayette (10/5).
High School: Graduate of Stainburn School and Science College, where she played soccer and netball… Captained England Colleges team.
Club: Played for Blackburn Rovers Ladies… Reached fourth round of FA Cup.
Personal: Full name is Steffi Hardy… Born June 29, 1996 in Cumbria, England… Daughter of Steven and Corrine Hardy… Has a twin sister, Rio, on the USA soccer team… Chose South Alabama because of the coach, and the chance to play and learn abroad… Favorites – movie: “Iron Man”; book: “To Kill a Mockingbird”; pro team: Manchester United; athletes: Rio Ferdinand and Sergio Ramos; musical artists: The Script and Chris Young; foods: cheese, hot cheetos and her grandmother’s tatie ash; Likes soccer, eating and Netflix, and dislikes math, bad manners and tardiness… Before a match she thinks positively about how she’s going to play… Best part of playing sports is the winning and making friends for life… Celebrities she’d like to meet are Sergio Ramos and Sir Alex Ferguson… Most thankful for her family, especially her mother because she wouldn’t be here without her… Wants to play soccer professionally… Three wishes: perfect health for her family, unlimited money and free travel for life.
Major: Exercise science
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