Sarah Grace Clark (born March 26, 1999) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Spokane Zephyr FC of the USL Super League. She previously played for the North Carolina Courage and Canberra United FC. She played college soccer for the Purdue Boilermakers and Virginia Cavaliers.
.jpg) Clark with the North Carolina Courage in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sarah Grace Clark[1] | ||
| Date of birth | March 26, 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Durham, North Carolina | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Spokane Zephyr | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2019 | Purdue Boilermakers | 36 | (3) |
| 2020–2022 | Virginia Cavaliers | 61 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023 | North Carolina Courage | 0 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Canberra United | 16 | (1) |
| 2024– | Spokane Zephyr | 11 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 15, 2024 | |||
Early life
editClark was born in Durham, North Carolina, and grew up in Brighton, Michigan.[2] She is the youngest of four children of Purdue University alumni Bill and Lori Clark.[2] Her family often played pickup soccer while in North Carolina in the summer; her uncle Mike Clark played professionally for the Columbus Crew, and her brother, Will, later played for UNC Wilmington in college.[3] Clark developed her corner kick ability from a young age while practicing with her brother.[4]
Clark played club soccer for the Michigan Hawks' youth squad, winning five straight Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) conference titles from 2013 to 2017 and back-to-back ECNL national championships in 2016 and 2017.[2] She graduated from Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan.[2]
College career
editClark regularly started as a center back in her first season at Purdue in 2017 and was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman team.[2][4] She moved to play defensive center midfield in her sophomore season, leading the team with six assists and converting three penalty kicks.[2][4] She was named team captain the next year but sat out the season with a medical redshirt.[3]
Clark transferred to the University of Virginia in 2020.[5] She made 61 appearances in three seasons as a defender.[3][6]
Club career
editNorth Carolina Courage, 2023
editAfter going undrafted in the 2023 NWSL Draft, Clark was signed by the North Carolina Courage as a national team replacement player in June 2023.[7] She assisted on a Haley Hopkins goal in her professional debut, a 5–0 Challenge Cup win against the Orlando Pride on July 29, 2023.[6] She played in one other league cup game that season as the Courage defended their Challenge Cup title.[6]
Canberra United, 2023–2024
editClark was signed by Canberra United FC of Australia's A-League Women in December 2023.[8][9]
Spokane Zephyr FC, 2024–
editClark signed with USL Super League club Spokane Zephyr FC on May 28, 2024, ahead of the league's inaugural 2024–25 season.[10] On August 27, she appeared in the starting lineup of Zephyr's first-ever game, which they drew to Fort Lauderdale United FC 1–1.[11]
Career statistics
edit- As of match played March 30, 2024
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Playoffs[b] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| North Carolina Courage | 2023 | NWSL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Canberra United FC | 2023–24 | A-League | 16 | 1 | — | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||
Honors
editNorth Carolina Courage
Notes
edit- ^ Includes the NWSL Challenge Cup
- ^ Includes NWSL Playoffs, A-League Women Finals series
References
edit- ^ "One Hundred and Ninety Third FINAL EXERCISES" (PDF). University of Virginia. p. 36. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Sarah Clark – Soccer". Purdue University Athletics. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Sarah Clark". Virginia Cavaliers. August 7, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ a b c Baird, Nathan (September 18, 2018). "Purdue soccer defender Sarah Clark coming up big from the corner". Journal & Courier. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ "Virginia Women's Soccer Announces 2020–21 Newcomers". Virginia Cavaliers. May 4, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Sarah Clark". North Carolina Courage. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ "Courage sign three to National Team replacement contracts". North Carolina Courage. June 27, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ "US Defender Clark Adds to United Squad". Canberra United FC. December 14, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
- ^ Polkinghorne, David (December 13, 2024). "Canberra bolsters backline stocks with US college star". The Canberra Times.
- ^ USL Spokane (May 28, 2024). "Defender Sarah Clark Joins Spokane Zephyr FC, Bringing Experience to the Backline". Spokane Zephyr FC. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ "Spokane Zephyr FC 1–1 Fort Lauderdale United FC". USL Super League. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
External links
edit
- Sarah Clark at Soccerway