BOISE, Idaho — The 2023 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season kicks off Saturday, and there are several familiar faces representing the Gem State.
Centennial High School graduate and two-time Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year for the Patriots, Sofia Huerta, begins another season in Seattle with the OL Reign.
Last year, the Boise native was named to the 2022 National Women's Soccer League Best XI First Team, honoring the top players in the league. Huerta started in 19 matches in 2022 and completed more than 675 passes, blocked 10 shots and intercepted 21 feeds.
Another Centennial product and former Boise Timbers-Thorns standout, Emily Madril, is kicking off her first year in the league on Sunday. In January, Madril was selected with the third overall pick by the Orlando Pride in the first round of the 2023 NWSL Draft.
After competing with the Patriots as a freshman, Madril moved to Florida and joined the Navarre High School soccer program. She shined in the Sunshine State, totaling 107 goals and 70 assists at Navarre.
Madril played her collegiate career at Florida State, where she started in all 25 games and was a First-Team All-American during the Seminoles' 2021 National Championship run.
Two other Idaho natives begin their season with the Dash on Sunday night, facing off with Racing Louisville FC at Shell Energy Stadium. American Falls High School graduate Maria Sánchez and Kelcie Hedge from Post Falls both play for Houston.
For the first time ever, athletes from all 12 NWSL teams are included in the new EA SPORTS™ FIFA 23 video game. The extremely-popular game has never included women before the latest release.
Huerta and Sánchez are both featured in FIFA 23. The video game was released on March 15.
All of this weekend's NWSL games featuring Idaho athletes will stream on Paramount+. A breakdown of those game times are included below:
- (Huerta) OL Reign vs. Washington: Sunday, 2 p.m. MT
- (Madril) Orlando vs. Portland: Sunday, 3 p.m. MT
- (Hedge/Sánchez) Houston vs. Louisville: Sunday, 5 p.m. MT
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