Laurie Hill (footballer, born 1970)

Laurie Hill
Personal information
Full name Laurie A. Hill
Date of birth (1970-02-11) February 11, 1970[1]
Place of birth Los Angeles, California, United States
Height 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m)[2]
Playing position Midfielder[2]
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1991 UC Santa Barbara 74 (27)
National team
Mexico

Laurie A. Hill[3] (born February 11, 1970), is an American-born Mexican retired international soccer player who appeared as a co-captain in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. She was the MVP of the USL W-League in 1995, the first winner of the award in the league's history.

Early life and education

Hill was born on February 11, 1970, in Los Angeles, California, and was raised in the same area.[1][2] Her mother was born in Mexico City, Mexico.[2] Hill attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and was a student-athlete on the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's soccer team.[4][5] Hill became UC Santa Barbara's career leader in minutes played (6,422) and was named a three-time All American from 1989 through 1991.[6][7] Following her UCSB career, she was inducted into the UC Santa Barbara Athletics Hall of Fame.[8]

Club career

Hill played for the Southern California Nitemares as a teenager.[9] After she graduated from UC Santa Barbara, she went to Japan to play professionally for a year before returning to Southern California.[2]

Hill rejoined the Nitemares in 1995 as they became a founding member of the USL W-League.[9][10] For the 1995 W-League season, Hill was named the league's first MVP.[10] She also featured for the Sacramento Storm.

Following the 1999 Women's World Cup, Hill was selected to be a part of a travelling exhibition against the United States Women's National Team.[9] She would later be drafted to the Women's United Soccer Association's Philadelphia Charge in the 15th round of the 2000 WUSA Draft.[11] She quit playing soccer before the Charge played their first game after deciding to focus on a nursing career.[9][12]

International career

Hill, being American born and raised, attempted to join the United States women's national soccer team.[2] She never made an appearance for the team.[13]

After a law change, Hill was eligible to attempt to join the Mexico women's national football team prior to the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.[2][4] After the Mexico national team played a scrimmage against the Sacramento Storm, Hill, who played for the Storm, approached the Mexican officials about joining the team.[14]

Hill was successful in joining the team for their first Women's World Cup appearance and was one of over half of the 20–player roster that had American ties.[15] Hill served as a co-captain for the team and appeared in all three group matches.[1][16]

Personal life

Hill was nicknamed "The Thrill" after her play on the field.[17] After soccer, she met her husband, Johnny, in the Summer 2001 and moved to Ireland.[9] She works in nursing and is a mother to three children.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "FIFA Tournaments - Players & Coaches - Laurie Hill Profile". FIFA. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bickelhaupt, Susan (April 21, 1999). "Cross-country kicking". The Boston Globe. Boston. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Laurie A Hill – California Birth Index". FamilySearch. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Giesin, Dan (February 3, 1999). "U.S. Woman Finds Success Elsewhere / Hill joins Mexico for World Cup tournament". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  5. ↑ Zant, John (November 13, 2008). "UCSB Women's Soccer Scores Big Breakthrough". Santa Barbara Independent. Santa Barbara, California. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  6. ↑ "UCSB Women's Soccer Record Book" (PDF). UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. August 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  7. ↑ Shipley, Amy (June 9, 1999). "Opportunity Is South of the Border". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  8. ↑ "UCSB Gaucho Athletic Hall of Fame". UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Hill Went Where Game Took Her". United Soccer Leagues. May 8, 2014. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016 – via cardiaplegia.rssing.com.
  10. 1 2 Litterer, David. "The Year in American Soccer, 1995". American Soccer History Archives. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  11. ↑ "WUSA preliminary rosters". USA Today. Tysons Corner, Virginia. February 4, 2001. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  12. ↑ "WUSA Preseason: C-Rays stomp Storm; Beijing takes Charge". Soccer America. Oakland, California. March 17, 2001. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  13. ↑ "2016 WNT MEDIA GUIDE" (PDF). United States Soccer Federation. 2016. p. 99. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  14. ↑ Jensen, Mike (June 17, 1999). "Mexican Soccer Team Has American Accent Half Of The Improbable Women's World Cup Squad Comes From North Of The Border.". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  15. ↑ Wyllie, John Philip (June 18, 1999). "Mexico Faces Challenges of Biblical Proportions". La Prensa San Diego. San Diego. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  16. ↑ Baxter, Kevin (January 2, 2011). "A chance at soccer south of the border". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  17. ↑ Whiteside, Kelly (June 18, 1999). "It's Geography With Kick". Newsday. Melville, New York. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
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