Wikipedia

Sophie Hirst

Sophie Hirst (born February 25, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Portland Thorns FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Harvard Crimson.

Sophie Hirst
Hirst with the Houston Dash in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-02-25) February 25, 2000 (age 24)[1]
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Portland Thorns
Number 14
Youth career
Crossfire Premier
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2022 Harvard Crimson 60 (10)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023–2024 Houston Dash 19 (1)
2024– Portland Thorns 0 (0)
International career
2015–2016 United States U16
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of September 2, 2024

Early life

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Hirst grew up in Seattle, Washington, where she attended Seattle Prep during high school.[3] With Seattle Prep, Hirst played as a forward[4] and helped the soccer team win the 2015 state championship,[5] where she was named the MVP of the tournament.[3] She was a three-year letterwinner for her school. Hirst played her club soccer for Crossfire Premier Soccer Club, where she helped the team to two consecutive top-three finishes in the ECNL National Finals.[3][6]

College career

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Hirst played for the Harvard Crimson women's soccer team from 2018 to 2022. In her first year with Harvard, she appeared in 11 games and started all but one, contributing 3 goals and 3 assists to the team.[3] Her first collegiate goal came on August 30, 2018, with Hirst netting a penalty kick in a 4–0 victory over Syracuse.[7] The match was also Hirst's Harvard debut.[3]

As a Sophomore, Hirst recorded 5 goals and 5 assists, receiving Second Team All-Ivy honors. She operated out of central midfield, helping Harvard tally 8 shutouts on the year. Hirst was also active offensively, scoring a college-high 5 goals and 5 assists. In 2020, the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Hirst returned in 2021 as a Senior and garnered 16 appearances, 14 of them starts. She was named to the All-Ivy First Team, stepping up from the Second-Team honor she earned in the prior season.[3] In her senior season, Hirst was also elected as the team's co-captain, sharing duties with teammate Jillian Wachira.[8][9] During her final year at Harvard, Hirst played in a career-high 17 of Harvard's games, starting in 16. She was an Academic All-Ivy honoree and was named to the All-Ivy First Team for the second year in a row.[10]

Hirst finished her college career with 60 games and 10 goals under her belt. She also shined academically, earning high grades throughout her Harvard career while studying Neuroscience.[3][11]

Club career

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Houston Dash, 2023–2024

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On January 12, 2023, Hirst was selected in the 2nd round of the 2023 NWSL Draft by the Houston Dash.[12][13] She was the 20th overall pick and the second-ever Harvard Crimson player to be drafted into the National Women's Soccer League, behind Midge Purce in the 2017 Draft.[14] The Dash signed Hirst to her first professional contract on March 25, 2023.[15]

Hirst made her debut and first start for the Dash on May 12, 2023 in a fixture against Portland Thorns FC. During the match, she made a crucial block and had a chance to score a goal in the first half.[16] Hirst nearly played a full 90 in her debut before being substituted off for teammate Havana Solaun.[17] Hirst notched her first professional goal three games later, scoring the opening goal in a 2–0 win over the Orlando Pride on June 3, 2023.[18] In the 6th minute of the match, Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse spilled the ball from a corner kick right to the feet of Hirst, who pounced upon the opportunity and kicked the ball into the net with the outside of her foot.[19][20]

While Hirst did not score any other goals in 2023, she finished the season with 12 regular season games and 2 NWSL Challenge Cup games under her belt.[21] Following Hirst's performance in her rookie season, the Dash decided to exercise Hirst's contract option, keeping her in Houston.[22] During 2024, Hirst appeared in 7 games for the Houston Dash, starting 3.[21]

Portland Thorns, 2024–

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On September 2, 2024, the Dash traded Hirst to Portland Thorns FC in exchange for a conditional $10,000 in intra-league transfer funds and $25,000 in allocation money.[23]

International career

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Hirst played for the United States U-16 women's national soccer team, receiving call-ups in 2015 and 2016.[5][24]

References

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  1. ^ "S. HIRST". Perform Group. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  2. ^ "Sophie Hirst". MLS. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Sophie Hirst - 2022 - Women's Soccer". Harvard University. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  4. ^ "Seattle Prep girls seek 3A girls soccer title repeat". The Seattle Times. 2016-11-16. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  5. ^ a b "Girls soccer 3A preview: Sophie Hirst serious about leading Seattle Prep to repeat". The Seattle Times. 2016-09-05. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  6. ^ "Hawks, FC Dallas, Blues win ECNL titles | Club Soccer | Youth Soccer". TopDrawerSoccer.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  7. ^ "Syracuse 2-2 -VS- Harvard 1-2". Ivy League. Sidearm Sports. August 30, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  8. ^ "Hirst, Wachira Elected Women's Soccer Team Captains for 2021". Harvard University. 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  9. ^ "Harvard women's soccer captains revealed for 2021-22". SoccerWire. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  10. ^ "Ivy League Announces Women's Soccer All-Ivy Teams, Major Awards". ivyleague.com. 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  11. ^ "Sophie Hirst Selected No. 20 Overall By Houston Dash in NWSL Draft". Harvard University. 2023-01-12. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  12. ^ "2023 NWSL Draft tracker: Complete list of picks as phenom Alyssa Thompson goes No. 1 to Angel City FC". CBSSports.com. 2023-01-13. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  13. ^ NWSL. "National Women's Soccer League Official Site". NWSL. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  14. ^ "Sophie Hirst Selected No. 20 Overall By Houston Dash in NWSL Draft". Harvard University. 2023-01-12. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  15. ^ FC, Houston Dynamo. "Houston Dash announce draft pick signings | Houston Dynamo". Houston Dynamo FC. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  16. ^ FC, Houston Dynamo. "Houston Dash put a thorn in Portland's undefeated record with a 2-1 win | Houston Dynamo". Houston Dynamo FC. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  17. ^ "Houston 2-1 Portland (May 12, 2023) Commentary". ESPN. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  18. ^ Montaño, Alvaro (June 3, 2023). "Sophie Hirst and Michelle Alozie send Dash past Pride". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Newspapers. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  19. ^ Rollins, Sean (2023-06-04). "Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash: Final Score 2-0 as Pride Drop Second Straight". themaneland.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  20. ^ FC, Houston Dynamo. "Houston leaves Orlando prideless with a 2-0 win | Houston Dynamo". Houston Dynamo FC. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  21. ^ a b NWSL. "National Women's Soccer League Official Site". NWSL. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  22. ^ FC, Houston Dynamo. "Houston Dash announce end of season roster decisions | Houston Dynamo". Houston Dynamo FC. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  23. ^ "Portland Thorns FC Acquire Midfielder Sophie Hirst - Portland Thorns". www.thorns.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  24. ^ "Sophie Hirst". TopDrawerSoccer.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
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