Gabriella Alyssa Provenzano (born August 7, 1999) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder or a center back for Portland Thorns FC in the National Women's Soccer League.[2][3][4][5]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gabriella Alyssa Provenzano[1] | ||
| Date of birth | August 7, 1999[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Sergeantsville, New Jersey, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder, center back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Portland Thorns FC | ||
| Number | 44 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2017 | Players Development Academy | ||
| 2013–2016 | Hunterdon Central Red Devils | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2021 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | 103 | (5) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022– | Portland Thorns FC | 4 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of April 2, 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of April 2, 2023 | |||
Youth career
editProvenzano played youth soccer at Elite Clubs National League club Players Development Academy (PDA) from ages 8 to 18. One of her coaches at PDA was Mike O'Neill, who would later manage her at the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.[4]
She later played as a forward and an attacking midfielder for the soccer team of her high school, Hunterdon Central Regional High School.[6][7]
College career
editProvenzano played NCAA Division I women's soccer for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.[8] Having started as a defensive midfielder, Rutgers moved her to the center back role in her junior year.[9] During her time at Rutgers, Provenzano was nicknamed "The General" by manager O'Neill, who also named her as team captain.[4][9]
Provenzano collected 103 career appearances and played 8,568 minutes for Rutgers, both program records.[9] In 2021, she captained Rutgers to its first Big Ten Conference championship in any sport since the school joined the conference in 2014.[10] The 2021 Big Ten women's soccer tournament named her to the all-tournament team,[11] and she featured in the 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament, where Rutgers fell in the semifinals to eventual champions Florida State.[5][9][12][13] The Big Ten Conference also named Provenzano its 2021 defensive player of the year,[12][14][15] and she was named a semifinalist for the national MAC Hermann Trophy.[16]
Club career
editIn December 2021, NWSL club Portland Thorns FC selected Provenzano with the 22nd overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft.[4][9] In the process, she became the ninth Rutgers player to be drafted by an NWSL club, as well as the third Rutgers player drafted by the Portland-based team.[9][17] On March 15, 2022, Thorns FC announced that the club had signed Provenzano to a one-year contract, with an option for an additional year.[18]
On March 5, 2022, Provenzano made her professional debut for Thorns FC in a 0–0 preseason draw against OL Reign.[19] On March 31, 2022, Provenzano made her professional competitive debut for Thorns FC in a 3–0 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup victory against Angel City FC, coming on as a 84th-minute substitute.[20] Having collected four appearances throughout the 2022 season, she gained her first professional title as Thorns FC won the NWSL Playoffs over Kansas City Current.[21]
In March 2023, Thorns FC exercised their option on Provenzano's contract for a second year ahead of the 2023 season.[22]
Honors
editPortland Thorns FC
Individual
- Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Year: 2021[14][15]
References
edit- ^ "Hunterdon Central High School Class of 2017". MyCentralJersey. June 14, 2017. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ a b "Gabby Provenzano". Portland Timbers. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ "Gabby Provenzano". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Tonelli, Jenna (January 5, 2022). "Rutgers Soccer Star Gabby Provenzano To Start Pro Career With Portland Thorns". Jersey Sporting News. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
- ^ a b Anzidei, Melanie (October 21, 2022). "Women & Sport: Despite FC Gotham absence, plenty of NJ-grown talent in NWSL playoffs". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Pincus, Simeon (September 2, 2015). "GIRLS SOCCER: Junior-led Hunterdon Central looking to redefine what it means to rebuild". Courier News. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
- ^ "Gabby Provenzano #4". NJ.com. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
- ^ "Gabby Provenzano". Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Little, Grant (January 18, 2022). "Meet the Draftees: Gabby Provenzano". Stumptown Footy. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
- ^ Dyer, Kristian (October 28, 2021). "Rutgers Gabby Provenzano talks Big Ten title, repping the block 'R' and Carli Lloyd's twitter shoutout". USA Today Sports. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Anzidei, Melanie (November 7, 2021). "Rutgers women's soccer falls, 1-0, to Michigan in Big Ten title game". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ a b Havsy, Jane (December 18, 2021). "'Jersey girls have grit:' Four from NJ selected in National Women's Soccer League Draft". Daily Record. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Anzidei, Melanie (December 3, 2021). "Rutgers women's soccer falls to Florida State in heartbreaking Final Four loss". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
- ^ a b Dyer, Kristian (October 28, 2021). "Rutgers women's soccer dominates Big Ten honors". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ a b "Big Ten unveils 2020-2021 all-conference teams and individual awards". SoccerWire. April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Dyer, Kristian (November 30, 2021). "Rutgers women's soccer places two semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ "As It Happened | The minute-by-minute of Thorns FC's 2022 NWSL Draft" (Press release). Portland Timbers. December 17, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
- ^ "Thorns FC sign midfielder Gabby Provenzano, forward Natalie Beckman" (Press release). Portland Timbers. March 15, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
- ^ Danzer, Paul (March 10, 2022). "Timbers invest in future while focusing on present". Portland Tribune. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Danzer, Paul (March 31, 2022). "Portland Thorns show firepower, depth in dispatching Angel City FC". Portland Tribune. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
- ^ a b Clarke, Ryan (October 30, 2022). "Portland Thorns win 3rd NWSL championship with 2-0 victory over Kansas City Current". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
- ^ Wiley, Ben (March 23, 2023). "NWSL 2023: Portland Thorns look to go back-to-back". Soccer America. Retrieved April 2, 2023.