| Maddie Dahlien | |
| Full Name: | Madeline Grace Dahlien |
| Birth Date: | 25 July 2004[1] |
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in |
| Position: | Center forward, winger |
| Currentclub: | North Carolina Tar Heels |
| Clubnumber: | 5 |
| Collegeyears1: | 2022– |
| College1: | North Carolina Tar Heels |
| Collegecaps1: | 60 |
| Collegegoals1: | 6 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2023–2024 |
| Nationalteam1: | United States U-20 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 15 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 6 |
| Nationalteam-Update: | September 21, 2024 |
Madeline Grace Dahlien (born July 25, 2004) is an American college soccer player who plays as a forward for the North Carolina Tar Heels. A two-sport athlete in high school, Dahlien won multiple Minnesota state track and field championships at Edina High School. She won bronze with the United States at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
Dahlien was raised in Edina, Minnesota.[2] She played for Edina Soccer Club before high school, when she joined Minnesota Thunder Academy, the state's only team in the Elite Clubs National League, and was named an All-American in 2020–21.[3] She attended Edina High School, where she recorded 92 career goals and 43 assists and was named all-state three times. She scored 37 goals in her senior year in 2021, helping lead her team to the state semifinals.[2]
Dahlien also starred in track and field in high school, coming second at the state championship in the 100, 200, and 400 meters as a freshman; sweeping the 100, 200, and 400 meters as a junior; and winning the 200 meters and long jump as a senior, narrowly coming second in the 100 and 400 meters.[4] Following her senior year, she was named the Star Tribune Female Athlete of the Year.[5] She committed to the University of North Carolina for soccer in August 2020 and considered additionally joining the track team.[6] [7]
Dahlien scored four goals with three assists despite making only five starts for the North Carolina Tar Heels as a freshman in 2022, being named to the Atlantic Coast Conference all-freshman team. She scored a brace against BYU in the third round of the NCAA championship, where the Tar Heels finished the season as national runners-up.[8] She moved into North Carolina's usual starting lineup as a junior in 2024, being named to the All-ACC third team.[2] [9]
Dahlien first trained with the United States youth national team at a combined under-18/under-19 camp in April 2023. She was one of the youngest players selected to the under-20 roster for 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, scoring a hat trick in her youth international debut against Jamaica in the group stage. She entered the starting lineup as the team finished as runners-up to Mexico, securing qualification to the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[8] [10]
Dahlien appeared off the bench in every game at the U-20 Women's World Cup. She scored in both of the team's group stage wins over Morocco and Paraguay.[11] In the quarterfinals, trailing Germany 2–0, the United States came back in the last moments of regulation with a goal from Jordynn Dudley and an own goal forced by Ally Sentnor in the 90+8th and 90+9th minutes—the latter off Dahlien's deflected cross; they advanced in a penalty shootout.[12] Following a semifinal defeat to eventual champions North Korea, Dahlien forced a 119th-minute own goal in a 2–1 extra-time win over the Netherlands, helping the United States finish the tournament in third place, its best result since 2012.[13]