Haley Hopkins Explained

Haley Hopkins
Birth Date:21 December 1998
Birth Place:Newport Beach, California
Height:5 ft 10 in
Position:Forward
Currentclub:North Carolina Courage
Clubnumber:5
Collegeyears1:2017–2021
College1:Vanderbilt Commodores
Collegecaps1:58
Collegegoals1:34
Collegeyears2:2021–2022
College2:Virginia Cavaliers
Collegecaps2:46
Collegegoals2:22
Years1:2023–
Clubs1:North Carolina Courage
Caps1:25
Goals1:3
Club-Update:May 24, 2024

Haley Hopkins (born December 21, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Virginia Cavaliers. She was selected by the Courage 11th overall in the first round of the 2023 NWSL Draft.

Early life

Hopkins grew up in Newport Beach, California, with three siblings.[1] [2] Her father played college football and baseball for the Virginia Cavaliers and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 1982 MLB draft.[3] Hopkins began playing soccer at age four.[4] She played youth soccer for Slammers FC of the Elite Clubs National League and Mater Dei High School, where she graduated in 2017.[5]

College career

Hopkins began attending Vanderbilt University in 2017, but she played in only one game that year because of knee pain that required multiple surgeries.[6] In 2018, as a redshirt freshman, she led the team with 14 goals and 7 assists and was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year.[1] Majoring in medicine, health, and society, she interned with a medical clinic in Nashville over the summer of 2019.[1] She continued leading the Commodores with 13 goals as a redshirt sophomore in 2019.[7] She dealt with injuries the next year but still had a team-leading seven goals and helped the Commodores win the 2020 SEC tournament.[4] [7] With the second-most goals in Vanderbilt history (34), she was named All-SEC all three of her full seasons and third-team All-American twice.[3]

Hopkins transferred to the University of Virginia in 2021 as a graduate student in the School of Medicine.[8] She scored twice on her debut, and the next year she scored a hat trick in the first 15 minutes of a game against Fairleigh Dickinson.[3] [9] In the 2022 NCAA tournament, she scored in overtime against Penn State to help the Cavaliers reach the quarterfinals.[10] She finished her college career with 22 goals for Virginia, being named All-ACC both years she played in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).[2] [11]

Club career

North Carolina Courage, 2023–

The North Carolina Courage, which had multiple first-round picks in the 2023 NWSL Draft, selected Hopkins 11th overall.[12] She was signed to a three-year contract.[13] She made her professional debut on April 1 against San Diego Wave FC and earned her first start in a game against the Washington Spirit on April 15.[14] She scored her first two professional goals in a 5–0 Challenge Cup win against the Orlando Pride on July 29.[15] She scored her first regular-season goal in a 3–3 draw to Gotham on September 2.[16] [17] She started for the Courage in the Challenge Cup final on September 9, in which they defeated Racing Louisville FC 2–0.[18]

Honors

North Carolina Courage

Notes and References

  1. News: West Coast to West End. Bishop. Chad. October 10, 2019. Vanderbilt University Athletics. November 11, 2023.
  2. Web site: Haley Hopkins. July 28, 2021 . Virginia Cavaliers. November 11, 2023.
  3. News: Grad transfer Haley Hopkins follows in father's footsteps in move to Virginia. Conlin. Bennett. August 20, 2021. The Daily Progress. November 11, 2023.
  4. Web site: Haley Hopkins. May 4, 2019 . Vanderbilt University Athletics. November 11, 2023.
  5. News: Hopkins has the golden touch at the right time for Mater Dei. February 28, 2017. The Orange County Register. November 11, 2023.
  6. News: From PICC Lines to Picking Corners: Haley Hopkins heating up after medical scare. The Vanderbilt Hustler. November 11, 2023. Klein. Cutler. September 9, 2018.
  7. News: Virginia Women's Soccer Adds Grad Transfer Haley Hopkins. June 28, 2021. Virginia Cavaliers. November 11, 2023.
  8. News: Hopkins Embracing Life as Cavalier. September 15, 2021. Virginia Cavaliers. November 11, 2023.
  9. Hopkins Scores Hat Trick, No. 8 UVA Women's Soccer Powers Past Fairleigh Dickinson 5-0. Newton. Matt. August 28, 2022. Sports Illustrated. November 11, 2023.
  10. News: Region/state roundup: Haley Hopkins' OT goal sparks Virginia women's soccer team to NCAA quarterfinals. November 20, 2022. The Virginian-Pilot. November 11, 2023.
  11. Web site: Haley Hopkins. North Carolina Courage. November 11, 2023.
  12. Spaanstra & Hopkins Drafted Back-to-Back in First Round of NWSL Draft. Newton. Matt. January 13, 2023. Sports Illustrated. November 11, 2023.
  13. News: Courage sign all four 2023 draft picks. March 13, 2023. North Carolina Courage. November 11, 2023.
  14. Web site: Haley Hopkins 2023 Match Logs. FBref.com. 2024-08-09.
  15. News: North Carolina top Orlando in emphatic five-goal outing. July 29, 2023. National Women's Soccer League. November 11, 2023.
  16. News: Week 18 Review: NWSL Pitch Notes. September 5, 2023. National Women's Soccer League. November 11, 2023.
  17. News: Hoos in the NWSL. Connor. Caroline. October 6, 2023. The Cavalier Daily. November 11, 2023.
  18. News: Champions! Courage claim Challenge Cup with 2-0 win Saturday. 2023-09-09. North Carolina Courage. 2024-08-12.