Sophie Hirst

Sophie Hirst (born February 25, 2000) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder. She played college soccer for the Harvard Crimson before being selected 20th overall by the Houston Dash in the 2023 NWSL Draft. Hirst spent two years in the NWSL playing for the Dash and one with Portland Thorns FC.

Early life Hirst was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, where she attended Seattle Prep for high school. With Seattle Prep, Hirst played as a forward and helped the soccer team win the 2015 state championship, where she was named the MVP of the tournament.

College career Hirst played for the Harvard Crimson women's soccer team from 2018 to 2022. On August 30, 2018, Hirst made her collegiate debut and scored her first goal to help Harvard beat Syracuse. In her first year with Harvard, she appeared in 11 games and started all but one, contributing 3 goals and 3 assists to the team.

During her fifth and final year at Harvard, Hirst played in a career-high 17 of Harvard's games, starting in all but one. She was named to the All-Ivy First Team for the second year in a row. Hirst finished her college career with 60 games and 10 goals under her belt. She also shined academically, earning high grades throughout her Harvard career while studying neuroscience.

Club career

Houston Dash On January 12, 2023, Hirst was selected in the 2nd round of the 2023 NWSL Draft by the Houston Dash. She was the 20th overall pick and the second-ever Harvard Crimson player to be drafted into the National Women's Soccer League, behind Midge Purce in 2017. Hirst signed her first professional contract on March 25, 2023, inking a one-year deal with the Dash. She made her professional debut on May 12, 2023, starting and making a key block in a fixture against Portland Thorns FC. She notched her first professional goal three games later, scoring the opener in a 2–0 win over the Orlando Pride on June 3, 2023. In the 6th minute of the match, Orlando goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse spilled the ball from a corner kick right to the feet of Hirst, who pounced upon the opportunity and kicked the ball into the net with the outside of her foot.

While she did not score any other goals in 2023, she finished the season with 12 regular season games and 2 NWSL Challenge Cup games under her belt. Following Hirst's performance in her rookie season, the Dash decided to exercise her contract option, keeping her in Houston. During 2024, She appeared in 7 games for the Houston Dash, starting 3. She made her club debut two days later in a CONCACAF W Champions Cup victory over Club América. After her first season with the Thorns, she signed a contract extension with the club lasting through 2026. However, Hirst never quite made it that far; on July 30, 2025, she announced her retirement from professional soccer in order to pursue a medical degree at Columbia University. She played in a total of 23 NWSL games prior to her retirement.

International career Hirst has represented the United States at the youth international level, receiving call-ups to the under-16 squad in 2015 and 2016.

Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals

2023

12 1 2 0

14 1 2024 7 0

2 0 9 0

19 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 23 1

2024

1 0

0 0 4 0 0 0 5 0 2025 3 0

1 0

5 0

4 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 9 0

23 1 2 0 0 0 5 0 2 0 32 1