Draft:Cate Hardin

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Cate Hardin
Hardin with Georgia in 2024
Personal information
Full name Mary Catherine Hardin[1]
Date of birth (2003-03-20) March 20, 2003
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Positions
Team information
Current team
 Houston Dash
Number 18
Youth career
Concorde Fire
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2025 Georgia Bulldogs 81 (2)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2026– Houston Dash 10 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:44, June 11, 2026 (UTC)

Mary Catherine Hardin (born March 20, 2003) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender or midfielder for the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Georgia Bulldogs, where she set the program record for career appearances.

Early life

Hardin grew up in Marietta, Georgia. Both of her parents and her brother are former collegiate athletes. Hardin attended Fellowship Christian School for high school, scoring 102 goals in 45 matches with the soccer team. She was a three-year team captain and one-time all-state honoree. In 2022, she won both her school's Female Athlete of the Year award, in addition to a spot on the all-region soccer team.[2] Hardin also captained her club team, Concorde Fire, leading the team to a 2021 Elite Clubs National League conference championship.[3]

College career

Hardin played four years of college soccer at the University of Georgia.[2] She tallied her first career goal for the Bulldogs on September 16, 2022, opening the scoring in Georgia's Southeastern Conference (SEC) season-opener against Texas A&M.[4] As a rookie, she played primarily at center back and combined with the Bulldogs' backline to allow only 12 goals on the season. The following year, Hardin started in all but one of her 22 appearances and ranked third on Georgia's squad in minutes played. She helped the Bulldogs win their first-ever SEC tournament title and subsequently reach the NCAA tournament Round of 16, where she registered an assist to Croix Bethune as Georgia were ultimately knocked out by Clemson.[2][5]

Despite making only 16 appearances as a junior in 2024, the lowest in her career, Hardin bounced back in 2025,[2] captaining the Bulldogs,[6] starting all 21 matches, and racking up the most minutes of any field player on her team.[7] Despite operating from the backline,[8] Hardin also managed to become an attacking threat in her senior year, leading the Bulldogs in assists and ranking third in shots. Her performances earned her a spot on the All-SEC second team, her first-ever conference honor.[7] She finished her collegiate career at Georgia having set program records in appearances, starts, and minutes played.[9]

Club career

Hardin was invited to the Houston Dash's 2026 preseason camp as a non-rostered trialist.[10] She participated in multiple of the Dash's preseason games,[11] including in the Coachella Valley Invitational.[9] On March 5, 2026, the Dash announced that they had signed Hardin to her first professional contract, a one-year deal.[12][13] Hardin made her pro debut on March 21, 2026,[14] coming on as a late-game substitute for Maggie Graham in Houston's home-opening victory over expansion team Boston Legacy FC.[15] On May 6, she made her first professional start, playing all 90 minutes of a 2–0 loss to the Utah Royals.[16]

Career statistics

Club

As of June 11, 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Playoffs Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Houston Dash 2026 NWSL 10 0 — — 10 0
Career total 10 0 0 0 0 0 10 0

Honors and awards

Georgia Bulldogs

Individual

References

  1. "Spring 2026 Undergraduate Commencement Porgram" (PDF). University of Georgia. p. 63. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  2. "Cate Hardin". Georgia Bulldogs. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  3. "University of Georgia signs six recruits to National Letters of Intent". SoccerWire. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  4. "Georgia Takes SEC Opener, 3-2, at Texas A&M". Georgia Bulldogs. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  5. "Georgia Wins First SEC Tournament Championship, 1-0, over No. 10 Arkansas". Georgia Bulldogs. November 5, 2025. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  6. "Hardin Named to SEC Community Service Team". Georgia Bulldogs. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  7. Gaspar, Melina (March 5, 2026). "Houston Dash signs trialist Cate Hardin". All For XI. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  8. "From Athens to H-Town: Georgia Standout Cate Hardin Signs with Houston Dash". March 6, 2026. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  9. Lopez, Quique (March 6, 2026). "From Athens to H-Town: Georgia Standout Cate Hardin Signs with Houston Dash". Atlanta Soccer. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  10. "Dash sign former Georgia standout D Cate Hardin". Reuters. March 5, 2026. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  11. "Cate Hardin Interview: NWSL Trialist to Houston Dash Breakthrough". RSS. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  12. "Houston Dash sign defender Cate Hardin". Bayou City Soccer. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  13. "Former Georgia standout, Marietta native Cate Hardin signs with NWSL team". Marietta Daily Journal. March 5, 2026. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  14. "Cate Hardin". Houston Dynamo FC. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  15. "Houston Dash Blank Boston Legacy FC in Front of Record Crowd". OurSports Central. March 22, 2026. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  16. "Houston Dash at Utah Royals FC: Highlights, stats, and quotes". Bayou City Soccer. Retrieved June 11, 2026.