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, winning 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 career
Dahlien 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 All-American in 2021.[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 as a junior but considered additionally trying to join the track team.[7][8]
North Carolina Tar Heels
Dahlien 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 as runners-up in the final.[3]
Dahlien established herself in the starting lineup in her junior year in 2024. Despite missing a month while at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, she provided a team-joint-high seven assists, scored two goals, and drew six out of the team's ten penalties, earning third-team All-ACC honors.[9][10] In the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, she drew a penalty for North Carolina's opening 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 career
Seattle Reign
Seattle Reign FC announced on January 8, 2025, that they had signed Dahlien to her first professional contract, a three-year deal.[13] She made her professional debut on March 15, starting in the season opener, a 1–1 draw against NJ/NY Gotham FC.[14]
International career
Dahlien 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][15]
Dahlien appeared off the bench in every game at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[16] She scored in both of the team's group stage wins over Morocco and Paraguay.[17] 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.[18] 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.[16] She was called up by Emma Hayes into Futures Camp, practicing alongside the senior national team, in January 2025.[19]
Honors
North Carolina Tar Heels
Individual
- Third-team All-ACC: 2024
- ACC all-freshman team: 2022
References
- ^ a b c d "Maddie Dahlien". North Carolina Tar Heels. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ "Madeline Dahlien". United States Soccer Federation. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ a b c Furtado, Noah (July 21, 2023). "Edina's Maddie Dahlien puts Minnesota soccer back on USWNT radar". Star Tribune. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ "Girls ECNL announces 2020-21 All Americans". Elite Clubs National League. September 20, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
- ^ a b c La Vaque, David (July 28, 2022). "Maddie Dahlien, champion who endured hard times, is the All-Metro Female Athlete of the Year". Star Tribune. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ Long, Christina (June 28, 2021). "Edina triple-winner Maddie Dahlien is Star Tribune Metro Girls' Track Athlete of the Year". MN Track & Field Hub. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ Sherman, John (August 7, 2020). "Edina star Maddie Dahlien commits to North Carolina soccer program". Hometown Source. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ "'You Don't Want To Piss Her Off Before A Race': Edina Track Star Maddie Dahlien Plans Repeat Sweep". WCCO-TV. May 18, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ Crowther, Harry (December 7, 2024). "UNC women's soccer advances to national championship game led by front three". The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Women's Soccer Cumulative Statistics". North Carolina Tar Heels. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ^ Olorunfemi, Victor (December 6, 2024). "UNC Defeats Duke to Reach College Cup Final". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ Koh, Michael (December 9, 2024). "UNC Women's Soccer Beats Wake Forest to Win 23rd National Championship". Chapelboro.com. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ "Seattle Reign FC Signs UNC Forward Maddie Dahlien". Seattle Reign FC. January 8, 2025. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
- ^ Yamashita, Andy (March 15, 2025). "Seattle Reign draw with Gotham FC in NWSL opener despite missing new star". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
- ^ "She's Maddie From Minnesota". United States Soccer Federation. June 2, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ a b "USA Scores Dramatic 119th-Minute Game-Winner To Defeat The Netherlands 2–1 And Finish Third At 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup". United States Soccer Federation. September 22, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ "USA Set to Face Germany in Quarterfinal at 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup". United States Soccer Federation. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ Sylvs, Southern (September 16, 2024). "Extra! Extra! The Kids are Alright: A FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Recap". All for XI. SB Nation. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ "Emma Hayes Names 24 Players to the 2025 Futures Camp Which Will Run Concurrently With USWNT Training Camp in Los Angeles". United States Soccer Federation. January 8, 2025. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
External links
- Maddie Dahlien at World Athletics
- Maddie Dahlien at Soccerway.com
- Maddie Dahlien at kicker (in German)
- Maddie Dahlien at U.S. Soccer
