Stack, Gordon Honoring Roots On National Teams
September 25, 2025 | Soccer, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
In the 79th minute of No. 17 Georgia's 1-0 win over Kentucky last Thursday, freshman Ava Stack took a pass from senior Cate Hardin on the right side, settled the ball at her feet, and fired what proved to be the game-winning shot into the back of the net. She then jumped for joy before being surrounded by her celebrating teammates.
"It was awesome," Stack said afterward.
Last Sunday, in Georgia's 4-1 win at Ole Miss, freshman Hailey Gordon scored the first two goals of her Bulldog career. The first came in the 39th minute, off a pass from redshirt sophomore Virginia Odom, and the second came in the 77th minute, off a cross from Hardin.
Gordon's two goals helped Georgia (7-2-2, 3-0 SEC) get off to its best start in conference play since 2007, and she was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on Monday. Stack and Gordon have more in common than just being a pair of impactful freshmen for the Bulldogs. It is Hispanic Heritage Month, and both players not only have Mexican roots, they have spent time playing for Mexican youth national teams.
"When I first got called up to the national team, it was a really big honor to do it," Gordon said. "It's just a blessing, and my family is nothing but proud. Representing a country, it's always an honor, but it's also a lot of pressure."
Stack has played with Mexico's Under-17 squad, going to her first camp with the team last December. She was with the U.S. U-14 and U-15 teams before deciding "to go a different route" by opting to play for Mexico after getting her dual citizenship.
"It's just been awesome ever since I went and played a few friendlies, and then in Concacaf," said Stack, who was recently called up to the U-17 World Cup squad and will go play with it soon.
Gordon, who is from Las Vegas, competed with Mexico in the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and scored a pair of goals in pool play during Mexico's run to the 2023 Concacaf U-20 Women's championship. She also played for the U-17 team in the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
"Being able to step on the big stage, like the World Cup qualifiers and the World Cup, it's like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It did bring a lot of nerves, but it also helped me grow in a lot of ways."
Prior to the Kentucky game, Gordon spent some time away from the Bulldogs in Mexico City training with Mexico's U-20 team.
"I came in a little nervous, but I just love the fans and our team's energy. That adrenaline felt really good," Gordon said after her first SEC game. "I definitely missed my teammates and the coaching staff from Mexico, but then being in Mexico, I missed my Georgia girls.
"Being there, I was able to immerse into my Mexican culture. And I was able to continue to practice my Spanish. It was a great experience, overall, but I was also really looking forward to coming back and playing with the Dawgs."
Gordon's mom is a Mexican-American, with roots in Tijuana and Durango. Gordon said she "grew up more with my Mexican side my whole life." Stack's grandfather on her mom's side was born in Mexico before coming to the U.S. Both Stack and Gordon know some Spanish but aren't yet fluent.
"I'm definitely working on it," Stack said. "My grandpa's fluent and my mom was fluent, but she kind of lost it over the years, so now I'm trying to pick it up and learn it."
Stack, from Acworth, Ga., reclassified to join the team this season, graduating early from Allatoona High School, and is still only 17 years old (as is Bulldog goalkeeper Hannah Folliard). She scored the first goal of her Georgia career on Aug. 28, against North Florida. That goal came in a 6-0 rout, but the one against Kentucky came with the game on the line.
"That first one just wasn't the same intensity as this one," Stack said, "because we're in the SEC now, so it's much bigger and it meant a lot more."
Stack said her national team experiences are helping her be a better player for Georgia, and her Georgia experiences are helping her be a better player for the national team.
"It's what I've been dreaming of since I was a little girl," she said. "I've always wanted to be on a national team, especially playing in the World Cup, and so now I'm doing it, and it's just helped my confidence so much, especially at the college level. At the national level, it's hard, and the intensity is really high.
"Coming in a year early to college, it's helped me a lot. The national team has helped me so much, and the girls here have helped me with my confidence too, and the coaches believed in me. So I'm here, and doing well."
Georgia not only has two players with Mexican national team experience, fellow freshmen Folliard and Mya Townes have played with U.S. youth national teams. Townes scored the first goal in the U.S. team's Concacaf Women's U-17 final 4-0 victory over Mexico.
"I think anytime you can go and represent a country, anytime you can go and have some different experiences, get different coaching, it's a really good thing," Georgia coach Keidane McAlpine said. "There's a maturity that happens from going away from home and seeing some places and things that you haven't seen. There is also a different style of play, and typically the speed of play is a little faster, so when you come back, the game slows down a bit for you. We encourage our players to do it when they have the opportunity."
The Bulldogs are back in action at the Turner Soccer Complex on Friday when they host Florida at 6:30 p.m.
Staff Writer
In the 79th minute of No. 17 Georgia's 1-0 win over Kentucky last Thursday, freshman Ava Stack took a pass from senior Cate Hardin on the right side, settled the ball at her feet, and fired what proved to be the game-winning shot into the back of the net. She then jumped for joy before being surrounded by her celebrating teammates.
"It was awesome," Stack said afterward.
Last Sunday, in Georgia's 4-1 win at Ole Miss, freshman Hailey Gordon scored the first two goals of her Bulldog career. The first came in the 39th minute, off a pass from redshirt sophomore Virginia Odom, and the second came in the 77th minute, off a cross from Hardin.
Gordon's two goals helped Georgia (7-2-2, 3-0 SEC) get off to its best start in conference play since 2007, and she was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on Monday. Stack and Gordon have more in common than just being a pair of impactful freshmen for the Bulldogs. It is Hispanic Heritage Month, and both players not only have Mexican roots, they have spent time playing for Mexican youth national teams.
"When I first got called up to the national team, it was a really big honor to do it," Gordon said. "It's just a blessing, and my family is nothing but proud. Representing a country, it's always an honor, but it's also a lot of pressure."
Stack has played with Mexico's Under-17 squad, going to her first camp with the team last December. She was with the U.S. U-14 and U-15 teams before deciding "to go a different route" by opting to play for Mexico after getting her dual citizenship.
"It's just been awesome ever since I went and played a few friendlies, and then in Concacaf," said Stack, who was recently called up to the U-17 World Cup squad and will go play with it soon.
Gordon, who is from Las Vegas, competed with Mexico in the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and scored a pair of goals in pool play during Mexico's run to the 2023 Concacaf U-20 Women's championship. She also played for the U-17 team in the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
"Being able to step on the big stage, like the World Cup qualifiers and the World Cup, it's like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It did bring a lot of nerves, but it also helped me grow in a lot of ways."
Prior to the Kentucky game, Gordon spent some time away from the Bulldogs in Mexico City training with Mexico's U-20 team.
"I came in a little nervous, but I just love the fans and our team's energy. That adrenaline felt really good," Gordon said after her first SEC game. "I definitely missed my teammates and the coaching staff from Mexico, but then being in Mexico, I missed my Georgia girls.
"Being there, I was able to immerse into my Mexican culture. And I was able to continue to practice my Spanish. It was a great experience, overall, but I was also really looking forward to coming back and playing with the Dawgs."
Gordon's mom is a Mexican-American, with roots in Tijuana and Durango. Gordon said she "grew up more with my Mexican side my whole life." Stack's grandfather on her mom's side was born in Mexico before coming to the U.S. Both Stack and Gordon know some Spanish but aren't yet fluent.
"I'm definitely working on it," Stack said. "My grandpa's fluent and my mom was fluent, but she kind of lost it over the years, so now I'm trying to pick it up and learn it."
Stack, from Acworth, Ga., reclassified to join the team this season, graduating early from Allatoona High School, and is still only 17 years old (as is Bulldog goalkeeper Hannah Folliard). She scored the first goal of her Georgia career on Aug. 28, against North Florida. That goal came in a 6-0 rout, but the one against Kentucky came with the game on the line.
"That first one just wasn't the same intensity as this one," Stack said, "because we're in the SEC now, so it's much bigger and it meant a lot more."
Stack said her national team experiences are helping her be a better player for Georgia, and her Georgia experiences are helping her be a better player for the national team.
"It's what I've been dreaming of since I was a little girl," she said. "I've always wanted to be on a national team, especially playing in the World Cup, and so now I'm doing it, and it's just helped my confidence so much, especially at the college level. At the national level, it's hard, and the intensity is really high.
"Coming in a year early to college, it's helped me a lot. The national team has helped me so much, and the girls here have helped me with my confidence too, and the coaches believed in me. So I'm here, and doing well."
Georgia not only has two players with Mexican national team experience, fellow freshmen Folliard and Mya Townes have played with U.S. youth national teams. Townes scored the first goal in the U.S. team's Concacaf Women's U-17 final 4-0 victory over Mexico.
"I think anytime you can go and represent a country, anytime you can go and have some different experiences, get different coaching, it's a really good thing," Georgia coach Keidane McAlpine said. "There's a maturity that happens from going away from home and seeing some places and things that you haven't seen. There is also a different style of play, and typically the speed of play is a little faster, so when you come back, the game slows down a bit for you. We encourage our players to do it when they have the opportunity."
The Bulldogs are back in action at the Turner Soccer Complex on Friday when they host Florida at 6:30 p.m.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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