| Sophie Hirst | |
| Birth Date: | 25 February 2000[1] |
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in[2] |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Houston Dash |
| Clubnumber: | 20 |
| Years1: | 2023– |
| Clubs1: | Houston Dash |
| Caps1: | 19 |
| Goals1: | 1 |
| College1: | Harvard Crimson |
| Collegecaps1: | 60 |
| Collegegoals1: | 10 |
| Collegeyears1: | 2018–2022 |
| Youthclubs1: | Crossfire Premier |
| Nationalyears1: | 2015–2016 |
| Nationalteam1: | United States U16 |
| Club-Update: | July 31, 2024 |
Sophie Hirst (born February 25, 2000), is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Harvard Crimson.
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. 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.[6]
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. 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.
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. 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.[11]
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]
Hirst played for the United States U-16 women's national soccer team, receiving call-ups in 2015 and 2016.[23]