Maddie Dahlien
Madeline Grace Dahlien (born July 25, 2004) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where she won the 2024 national championship. She won bronze with the United States at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Early life and college careerDahlien was raised in Edina, Minnesota.[1] 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][4] 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.[1][5] 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.[5][6] 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.[7][8] North Carolina Tar HeelsDahlien 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.[3] She became part of the regular starting lineup in her junior year in 2024. Despite missing a month for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, she earned All-ACC third-team honors and made a team-joint-high seven assists, scored two goals, and drew six out of the team's ten penalties.[9][10] In the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, she drew a penalty for North Carolina's first goal and scored the third goal in a 3–0 win against Duke.[11] North Carolina went on to defeat Wake Forest 1–0 in the final, winning the program's 23rd national title and first since 2012.[12] Club careerSeattle ReignSeattle Reign FC announced on January 8, 2025, that they had signed Dahlien to a three-year contract.[13] International careerDahlien 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.[3][14] Dahlien appeared off the bench in every game at the U-20 Women's World Cup.[15] She scored in both of the team's group stage wins over Morocco and Paraguay.[16] 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.[17] 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.[15] She was called up by Emma Hayes into Futures Camp, practicing alongside the senior national team, in January 2025.[18] HonorsNorth Carolina Tar Heels Individual
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