PHILADELPHIA – Recent Harvard women's soccer graduate,
Sophie Hirst, is officially a professional soccer player. The Seattle native was drafted into National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) by the Houston Dash, who selected Hirst with the eighth pick in the second round.
Hirst is just the second Harvard student-athlete to be selected in the NWSL draft, the first being Margaret Purce '17, who was selected by the Boston Breakers in the first round of the 2017 draft. Hirst is also only the sixth Ivy League player to ever be drafted into the NWSL.
The midfielder was selected after an incredibly successful career in Cambridge with the Crimson. In 60 matches, Hirst made 56 starts for Harvard, scoring 10 goals and assisting on 12 others. The 2022 graduate was a two-time First-Team All-Ivy selection (2021, 2022) and earned Second-Team All-Ivy honors (2019) in her playing career.
Off the field, Hirst shined in the classroom, posting high marks in every semester while concentrating in Neuroscience. Hirst received Academic All-America honors in 2021 for her achievements in the classroom and additionally was honored on the Academic All-Ivy team twice in her career.
Hirst will begin her professional soccer career this Spring when the NWSL takes the pitch in late March.
