Gopher soccer star goes pro, signing with Gotham FC
MINNEAPOLIS — A standout Gopher women's soccer player just punched her ticket to the pros.
Gopher senior, Khyah Harper, signed with New Jersey/New York Gotham FC in January. She's the third Gopher women's soccer player to join the NWSL.
"I'm just pinching myself trying to wake up. Is this real?" said Harper.
Harper didn't think this opportunity was possible after a college career that faced several setbacks and injuries. That was until her senior year when she got health and made a big comeback as the team's lead scorer with 17 goals and 6 assists.
The MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist and Big 10 Forward of the Year helped the Gophers get to the sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the first time in over a decade. These accolades are what got her noticed by the NWSL.
"Without my team this year, and this special year that I had, this wouldn't be a possibility, so I'm just super grateful for it," said Harper.
New this year in the NWSL, there is no college draft, so Harper had a lot of say in which teams she was interested in.
"It shows how much they want to empower the players and create longevity in the league," said Harper.
The Lino Lakes native is leaving her home state for the first time to play for Gotham FC. She said she wanted to be on this team because of the talented coaching staff and roster. Six Gotham FC players were on the Paris Olympics USA team.
"The talented roster they have is insane. They have so many national team players," said Harper.
The new NWSL season kicks off on March 14th.
"I'm just so excited to get out there and get to work," said Harper.
