Ashlyn Puerta

Ashlyn Puerta (born February 27, 2007) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder or forward for USL Super League club Sporting JAX. After one season of college soccer with the Florida State Seminoles, she joined Sporting JAX and earned USL Super League Player of the Year honors after her debut season in 2026.

Early life

Puerta grew up in San Diego, California, and began playing soccer at an early age. She played club soccer for Albion SC, leading her team to the Girls Academy (GA) national championship and being named the GA's most valuable player in 2022. She was homeschooled through her childhood and graduated early to join Florida State at age 17. Previously ranked by TopDrawerSoccer as the No. 19 recruit in the 2025 class, she became the No. 62 recruit in the 2024 class, part of Florida State's top-ranked incoming class.

College career

Puerta played in all 21 games, starting 9, and scored 4 goals with 5 assists for the Florida State Seminoles as a freshman in 2024. She was named the 5th-best freshman in TopDrawerSoccer midseason rankings and 57th at the end of the season. She helped Florida State win their fifth consecutive ACC tournament and earn a one seed in the NCAA tournament, where they lost in the second round on penalties. After one season at Florida State, she decided to go pro and give up her remaining college eligibility. She made her professional debut on August 23, playing the entirety of Sporting JAX's inaugural game, a 3–1 loss to DC Power FC. The following week, she scored her first professional goals in a 3–2 victory over defending champions Tampa Bay Sun, netting twice in four minutes through a penalty and a tight-angled shot after a corner kick in the club's first win. On September 28, she scored her first professional hat trick in a 4–3 win over the Carolina Ascent, getting all three goals in the first half. Her strong performances (six goals in five games) led to her being crowned Player of the Month for September.

On November 22, 2025, Puerta became the fastest USL Super League player to reach 10 career goals (11 games), scoring against Fort Lauderdale United in Sporting JAX's first home victory. On December 20, she scored against the Tampa Bay Sun as Sporting JAX went top of the table going into the winter break. Midseason fan voting showed her leading the race for the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards. On March 22, 2026, she recorded an assist against the Dallas Trinity to break the league record for goal contributions in a season (17; 11 goals and 6 assists) previously set by Emina Ekić and Allie Thornton in the inaugural campaign (16). On April 25, she scored her first goal of the year from the penalty spot in a 2–1 loss to title challengers Lexington SC, who eventually edged Sporting JAX for the Players' Shield.

Puerta finished her rookie season with 12 goals and 7 assists in 27 games. She ranked second in the league in goals (behind Catherine Barry) and tied for first in assists, earning the Golden Playmaker Award with the best assist rate. Following her outstanding rookie season, Puerta won the league's Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards.

International career Puerta helped the United States under-15 team win the 2022 CONCACAF Girls' U-15 Championship, scoring five goals with three assists in five games. She trained with the under-16, under-17, and under-18 teams over the following years. She made her under-20 debut at the 2025 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship in Costa Rica, where the United States qualified for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Following her call-up to the under-20 team later that year, she said, "I feel very blessed and grateful for this opportunity, and I give all glory to God."

Puerta was called into a development camp, training concurrently with the senior national team, in January 2026.

Personal life Puerta's parents both played college soccer at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Honors and awards

Florida State Seminoles ACC women's soccer tournament: 2024

United States U-15 CONCACAF Girls' U-15 Championship: 2022

Individual USL Super League Player of the Year: 2025–26 USL Super League Player of the Month: September 2025 USL Super League Team of the Month: September 2025, October 2025, February 2026