Olivia Moultrie named U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Player of the Year
Eighteen-year-old Olivia Moultrie is U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Player of the Year, U.S. Soccer announced on Thursday.
In her third professional season, Moultrie started in 12 of the 22 regular-season matches she played for the Portland Thorns. She recorded two goals and three assists in the over 1,200 minutes she played, according to the National Women’s Soccer League.
“I’m just super exited and thankful to everyone who voted for me for this award, it’s really special,” she said in a statement, per U.S. Soccer. “To see the list of those players who have won it before, and what they’ve gone on to accomplish in their careers, is inspiring and motivating for me.”
Who has won U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Player of the Year?
According to U.S. Soccer, former recipients of the award include:
1998: Cindy Parlow Cone, the current president of U.S. Soccer.
2000: Aly Wagner.
2004: Heather O’Reilly.
2009: Tobin Health.
2013: Lindsey Horan, current captain of the national team.
2015: Mallory Swanson.
2017: Sophia Smith.
2020: Naomi Girma, this year’s recipient of U.S. Soccer’s Female Player of the Year award.
When did Olivia Moultrie have her first national team cap?
Moultrie, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, earned her first call-up to the senior national team in October, which included a training camp and games in Sandy and San Diego.
“It was a hard year but a fun year and I’m so appreciative of all the older players on the Thorns and the National Team who embraced me and helped me along the way,” she said in the statement. “To grow as a person and a player, you really need your teammates, your coaches and your family, so thanks to all of them. It was a big year of growth for me, and I just hope it’s a step in the right direction. I promise I’m going to work even harder in the coming years.”
She could have earned her first cap, or appearance, for the national team in Utah, but she didn’t make her debut until December in Florida. Ahead of the team’s game in Utah, interim head coach Twila Kilgore credited Moultrie’s performance with the Thorns as the reason for her national team call-up, the Deseret News previously reported.
“Olivia has been doing a really good job with her club. She does a great job between the lines. She has good patience between the lines, and when she gets the ball, she’s able to accelerate the attack, bring other people into the play. She’s starting to create opportunities for herself in the league,” she said.
The midfielder received 38.3% of overall votes for the award, narrowly beating out forward Alyssa Thompson (31.5%), who became the youngest draft pick in the National Women’s Soccer League’s draft and was the youngest member of the U.S.’s World Cup roster in 2023, according to U.S. Soccer.
