Gabby Provenzano

Gabby Provenzano
Personal information
Full name Gabriella Alyssa Provenzano[1]
Date of birth (1999-08-07) August 7, 1999 (age 25)[2]
Place of birth Sergeantsville, New Jersey, U.S.
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Position(s) Midfielder, center back
Team information
Current team
 Portland Thorns FC
Number 44
Youth career
2007–2017 Players Development Academy
2013–2016 Hunterdon Central Red Devils
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2021 Rutgers Scarlet Knights 103 (5)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022– Portland Thorns FC 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of April 2, 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of April 2, 2023

Gabriella Alyssa Provenzano (born August 7, 1999) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder or a center back for Portland Thorns FC in the National Women's Soccer League.[2][3][4][5]

Youth career

Provenzano played youth soccer at Elite Clubs National League club Players Development Academy (PDA) from ages 8 to 18. One of her coaches at PDA was Mike O'Neill, who would later manage her at the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.[4]

She later played as a forward and an attacking midfielder for the soccer team of her high school, Hunterdon Central Regional High School.[6][7]

College career

Provenzano played NCAA Division I women's soccer for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.[8] Having started as a defensive midfielder, Rutgers moved her to the center back role in her junior year.[9] During her time at Rutgers, Provenzano was nicknamed "The General" by manager O'Neill, who also named her as team captain.[4][9]

Provenzano collected 103 career appearances and played 8,568 minutes for Rutgers, both program records.[9] In 2021, she captained Rutgers to its first Big Ten Conference championship in any sport since the school joined the conference in 2014.[10] The 2021 Big Ten women's soccer tournament named her to the all-tournament team,[11] and she featured in the 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament, where Rutgers fell in the semifinals to eventual champions Florida State.[5][9][12][13] The Big Ten Conference also named Provenzano its 2021 defensive player of the year,[12][14][15] and she was named a semifinalist for the national MAC Hermann Trophy.[16]

Club career

In December 2021, NWSL club Portland Thorns FC selected Provenzano with the 22nd overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft.[4][9] In the process, she became the ninth Rutgers player to be drafted by an NWSL club, as well as the third Rutgers player drafted by the Portland-based team.[9][17] On March 15, 2022, Thorns FC announced that the club had signed Provenzano to a one-year contract, with an option for an additional year.[18]

On March 5, 2022, Provenzano made her professional debut for Thorns FC in a 0–0 preseason draw against OL Reign.[19] On March 31, 2022, Provenzano made her professional competitive debut for Thorns FC in a 3–0 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup victory against Angel City FC, coming on as a 84th-minute substitute.[20] Having collected four appearances throughout the 2022 season, she gained her first professional title as Thorns FC won the NWSL Playoffs over Kansas City Current.[21]

In March 2023, Thorns FC exercised their option on Provenzano's contract for a second year ahead of the 2023 season.[22]

Honors

Portland Thorns FC

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Hunterdon Central High School Class of 2017". MyCentralJersey. June 14, 2017. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Gabby Provenzano". Portland Timbers. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  3. ^ "Gabby Provenzano". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Tonelli, Jenna (January 5, 2022). "Rutgers Soccer Star Gabby Provenzano To Start Pro Career With Portland Thorns". Jersey Sporting News. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Anzidei, Melanie (October 21, 2022). "Women & Sport: Despite FC Gotham absence, plenty of NJ-grown talent in NWSL playoffs". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Pincus, Simeon (September 2, 2015). "GIRLS SOCCER: Junior-led Hunterdon Central looking to redefine what it means to rebuild". Courier News. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  7. ^ "Gabby Provenzano #4". NJ.com. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  8. ^ "Gabby Provenzano". Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Little, Grant (January 18, 2022). "Meet the Draftees: Gabby Provenzano". Stumptown Footy. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  10. ^ Dyer, Kristian (October 28, 2021). "Rutgers Gabby Provenzano talks Big Ten title, repping the block 'R' and Carli Lloyd's twitter shoutout". USA Today Sports. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  11. ^ Anzidei, Melanie (November 7, 2021). "Rutgers women's soccer falls, 1-0, to Michigan in Big Ten title game". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Havsy, Jane (December 18, 2021). "'Jersey girls have grit:' Four from NJ selected in National Women's Soccer League Draft". Daily Record. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  13. ^ Anzidei, Melanie (December 3, 2021). "Rutgers women's soccer falls to Florida State in heartbreaking Final Four loss". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Dyer, Kristian (October 28, 2021). "Rutgers women's soccer dominates Big Ten honors". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Big Ten unveils 2020-2021 all-conference teams and individual awards". SoccerWire. April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  16. ^ Dyer, Kristian (November 30, 2021). "Rutgers women's soccer places two semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  17. ^ "As It Happened | The minute-by-minute of Thorns FC's 2022 NWSL Draft" (Press release). Portland Timbers. December 17, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  18. ^ "Thorns FC sign midfielder Gabby Provenzano, forward Natalie Beckman" (Press release). Portland Timbers. March 15, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  19. ^ Danzer, Paul (March 10, 2022). "Timbers invest in future while focusing on present". Portland Tribune. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  20. ^ Danzer, Paul (March 31, 2022). "Portland Thorns show firepower, depth in dispatching Angel City FC". Portland Tribune. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  21. ^ a b Clarke, Ryan (October 30, 2022). "Portland Thorns win 3rd NWSL championship with 2-0 victory over Kansas City Current". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  22. ^ Wiley, Ben (March 23, 2023). "NWSL 2023: Portland Thorns look to go back-to-back". Soccer America. Retrieved April 2, 2023.