Elizabeth Ball (soccer) facts for kids
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Ball with the Kansas City Current in 2024
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Elizabeth Rose Ball | ||
| Date of birth | October 20, 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Newport News, Virginia, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Kansas City Current | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2018–2019 | Portland Thorns | 23 | (0) |
| 2020 | Utah Royals | 4 | (0) |
| 2021– | Kansas City Current | 60 | (1) |
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Elizabeth Rose Ball (born October 20, 1995) is an American professional soccer player. She plays as a defender for the Kansas City Current. This team is part of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Before joining the Current, Elizabeth played college soccer for Penn State. She also played professionally for the Portland Thorns and Utah Royals.
Contents
Early Life and High School Soccer
Elizabeth Ball grew up playing soccer. She was part of the Richmond Strikers ECNL team. This was a top youth soccer league. In 2013, she was chosen for a special national training camp. From 2011 to 2014, Elizabeth scored 57 goals for her ECNL team.
She also played as a forward for Deep Run High School in Virginia. Her high school team was very successful. They reached the state quarterfinals in 2011. They made it to the semi-finals in 2012 and 2014. In 2013, her team won the state championship. Elizabeth scored both goals in that final game.
As a freshman, Elizabeth was named Player of the Year. She scored 20 goals and had 9 assists. In her sophomore year, she scored 21 goals. She was named All-Metro Player of the Year again in 2013. As a senior, she was named High School State Player of the Year for Virginia.
College Soccer Career
Elizabeth went to Penn State University from 2014 to 2017. She studied Biobehavioral Health. In her first year, she started every game as a centerback. She helped her team get 9 shutouts. A shutout means the other team doesn't score any goals.
In 2015, as a sophomore, Elizabeth won many awards for her defense. Her team, the Penn State Women's Soccer team, won the NCAA College Cup Championship. They did not allow a single goal during the entire tournament. Elizabeth started all 27 games that season. She also scored 3 goals.
In 2016, Elizabeth started all 21 games. She helped her team get 9 shutouts. She was named to the BIG Ten First Team. In her senior year, she was a co-captain. She started 21 of 23 games. She scored 3 goals and helped with 12 shutouts. Elizabeth finished her college career with 7,881 minutes played. This is the 4th most minutes played in Penn State history.
Professional Club Career
Portland Thorns: 2018–2019
Elizabeth Ball signed her first professional contract in 2018. She joined the Portland Thorns. She made her first start on March 24, 2018. In 2018, she played in 7 games. In 2019, she played in 16 matches. She started 14 of those games. She also made her first playoff start in October.
Utah Royals: 2020
In 2020, Elizabeth was traded to the Utah Royals. She played in five matches for the NWSL Challenge Cup. She started in four of those games.
Kansas City Current: 2021–Present
Elizabeth joined the Kansas City Current in 2021. This was their first season as a team. She scored her first NWSL goal on October 13, 2021. This goal was against the Houston Dash. After that season, she signed a new contract. This contract keeps her with the team until 2024.
Honors
Penn State Nittany Lions
- NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship: 2015
