Abby Smith facts for kids
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Smith at the White House in 2024
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Abigail Mackenzie Smith | ||
| Date of birth | October 4, 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Portland, Oregon, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Houston Dash | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2012 | Dallas Texans | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2016–2017 | Boston Breakers | 21 | (0) |
| 2018–2020 | Utah Royals | 20 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | → WS Wanderers (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2021 | Kansas City | 1 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Portland Thorns | 1 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 14 | (0) |
| 2025 | Houston Dash | 0 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2009–2010 | United States U17 | ||
| 2011–2012 | United States U20 | ||
| 2013–2016 | United States U23 | ||
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Abigail Mackenzie Smith (born October 4, 1993) is an American professional soccer player. She plays as a goalkeeper for the Houston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Abby has played for several teams in the NWSL, including the Boston Breakers, Utah Royals, Kansas City Current, and Portland Thorns. She also played for the Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia. During her college years, she played soccer for the Texas Longhorns. Abby has been part of two teams that won the NWSL Championship: the Portland Thorns in 2022 and NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2023.
She has also represented the United States on the under-17, under-20, and under-23 national teams.
Contents
Abby Smith's Early Life and Soccer Journey
Abby Smith grew up in Plano, Texas. She started playing soccer when she was in elementary school. From 2005 to 2012, she played club soccer for the Dallas Texans 94 Red Soccer Club. This team was ranked number one nationally in 2011–12. Abby was the team captain for four years. She helped her team win the Nike Cup in Portland, Oregon, and the Gothia Cup in Sweden in 2008.
Abby also participated in the Olympic Development Program (ODP) from 2005 to 2010. She was part of the Region III ODP Team. In 2009, she played in the US Youth Soccer (USYS) Region III championship finals. She also won the USYS ODP National Championship Golden Glove award.
Abby attended Plano West High School. She was the starting goalkeeper for the girls' soccer team. She graduated early to focus on playing for the national team. She was named a Youth All-America honoree twice by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. This happened in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, she was also named Parade Magazine All-American. Top Drawer Soccer ranked her as the 13th-best player in the United States. ESPNHS ranked her fifth among college prospects nationwide.
College Soccer Career
Playing for the Texas Longhorns (2012–2015)
Abby Smith attended the University of Texas. She played for the Texas Longhorns soccer team from 2012 to 2015.
Freshman Year Success (2012)
In her first year, Abby became the starting goalkeeper for the last 12 games. She only allowed 8 goals and made 34 saves. She set a new record for Texas rookie goalkeepers. Her goals-against average (GAA) was 0.63, which was the lowest since 2001. She also tied the school record for shutouts by a freshman with seven. Her save percentage was 0.810, which was the best in the Big 12 Conference. Abby helped her team's defense allow the fewest goals in the Big 12 Conference. She was named Soccer America Goalkeeper of the Week in October 2012.
Sophomore Season Highlights (2013)
During her second year, Abby started as goalkeeper in all 20 matches. She even scored her first career goal! Her team had a 12–6–2 record. She had a 0.78 goals-against average (GAA) and made 72 saves. She also recorded eight shutouts. She was named Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week in September. This was after she helped her team win against Samford University and Illinois State University. She also made a game-saving penalty kick stop in one of those matches. Her first goal was a 50-yard free kick.
Junior and Senior Year Records (2014-2015)
In 2014, Abby recorded nine shutouts. This tied the school record for the most in a single season. Her total of 24 career shutouts ranked second in school history. She was named to the All Big-12 Conference first team. She finished her junior season with a 0.92 GAA. Her 98 saves were the most in the Big 12 Conference.
During her senior year, Abby was a national finalist for the 2015 Senior Class Award. She was also named to the All-Big 12 Conference First-Team Academic team. She was named ESPNW Player of the Week in October 2015. She also earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week twice that month. Abby ranked first in the Big 12 Conference for total saves with 96. Her 30th career shutout in October set a new school career shutout record. She scored her third career goal, which was a game-winner, from a long punt against the University of Miami.
Professional Club Career
Boston Breakers (2016–2017)
The Boston Breakers selected Abby Smith in the third round of the 2016 NWSL College Draft. She signed with Boston in April 2016. Unfortunately, she suffered a serious knee injury in May 2016. This injury ended her season early.
After recovering, Abby became the starting goalkeeper for the 2017 season. In June 2017, she needed a special injection for her knee, which made her miss some games. Still, she played in 19 matches for the Breakers that season.
Utah Royals (2018–2020)
The Boston Breakers team closed down before the 2018 NWSL season. Abby was then chosen by the Utah Royals in the Dispersal Draft in January 2018. She had fully recovered from her knee injury. Abby played in 17 games for the Royals. She helped the Royals get their first team win in May. She also had three shutouts, earning her a spot on the NWSL Team of the Month for May. She signed a new contract in March 2019.
Loan to Western Sydney Wanderers (2019–2020)
To get more playing time during the NWSL offseason, Abby went on loan to the Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia. She played in eight matches for the team. She kept three clean sheets (no goals allowed). She helped the club reach the W-League finals for the first time.
Kansas City NWSL (2021)
When the Utah Royals team was sold, its players, including Abby, moved to KC NWSL. She shared playing time with another goalkeeper. In August 2021, Abby was traded to the Portland Thorns. She played in six league games for Kansas City.
Portland Thorns FC (2021–2022)
Abby did not play in any league games for the Portland Thorns in 2021. In 2022, she played in one league match and two Challenge Cup matches. The Thorns finished the season in second place. They went on to win the 2022 NWSL Championship. After the 2022 season, Abby became a free agent, meaning she could choose her next team.
NJ/NY Gotham FC (2023–present)
On November 28, 2022, Abby signed a three-year contract with NJ/NY Gotham FC. She started in 15 league matches. She had four clean sheets and was named to the NWSL Team of the Month in May. However, she suffered a season-ending injury in August 2023. This happened during a 2–1 win against the San Diego Wave. Even with Abby out, Gotham finished in sixth place. They went on to win the 2023 NWSL Championship. Abby returned to playing on October 25, 2024. This was 433 days after her injury. She came on as a substitute in the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup Final.
International Career
Abby Smith has played for the United States on the under-17, under-20, and under-23 national teams. She was called up to the USWNT for friendly matches in May 2017 and March 2018. She has not yet played in an official match for the senior national team.
Honors
NJ/NY Gotham FC
- NWSL Championship: 2023
Portland Thorns FC
- NWSL Championship: 2022
Individual
- NWSL Player of the Week: Week 7, 2023
- NWSL Team of the Month: May 2018, May 2023
