Lindsay Tarpley

Two Time Gold Medalist & Profesional Player

Lindsay Tarpley began her travel soccer career with the Portage Soccer Club. She also played for the Portage Central High School Mustangs from 1998 to 2002. During her freshman season, she helped her school's women's soccer team reach the state semi-finals.  In the following spring, she led her team to an undefeated season and the state championship. Against Bishop Foley Catholic High School in the final match, she scored her team's first goal and assisted on her team's other two, including the winning shot in the penalty shootout. She received several honors during her time there, including being named the 2002 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year and the 2002 U.S. Soccer Chevrolet Young Female Player of the Year, in addition to being a 1999 NSCAA All-American and a Parade All-American in 2001 and 2002.

In 2002 as a member of the U-19 U.S. Women's National Team she tallied in sudden death overtime to give the US a 1-0 win over Canada in the first ever FIFA World Championship.

In 2002, Tarpley began her college career with the University of North Carolina. While there, she majored in communications and minored in coaching. In her first season with the team, she was named ACC Rookie of the Year and the Soccer America and Soccer Buzz National Freshman of the Year.

During her sophomore season, Tarpley led the nation in total points (goals and assists) while leading the Tar Heels to the 2003 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship. Against Connecticut Huskies in the finals, she scored two goals and had two assists en route to winning the title. As a member of the University of North Carolina Tar Heel's she led the nation in scoring in 2003 with 23 goals and 27 assists. This was the most points by a Tar Heel since Mia Hamm and the 4th highest point total in the history of women's college soccer. This earned her numerous honors including ACC Player of the Year and Player of the Tournament, National Player of the Year, and several All-America team honors. Injuries interfered with Tarpley's junior and senior seasons, which reduced her playing time. Tarpley still managed to be named to the All-ACC and NSCAA All-America teams in both seasons.  Tarpley finished her North Carolina career with 59 goals and 59 assists.

She may be best known as being  a two-time Olympic gold medalist, winning gold at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, and was a member of the United States women's national team that finished third at the 2007 Women's World Cup in China.

Upon the creation of a new top-flight women's league in the United States, Tarpley agreed to join Women's Professional Soccer. She was allocated to Chicago Red Starsalong with USWNT players Carli Lloyd and Kate Markgraf. In the inaugural 2009 Women's Professional Soccer season, Tarpley appeared in 17 games (16 starts, 1321 total minutes) and scored four goals and four assists.

On January 15, 2010 Lindsay was traded to the Saint Louis Athletica in exchange for goalkeeper Jillian Loyden. With the Athletica, she joined former North Carolina Tar Heel standouts Lori Chalupny, Kendall Fletcher and Kristina Larsen.

She became a free agent on June 1, 2010 with the dissolution of the Saint Louis Athletica. On June 3, it was announced by the Boston Breakers that they had signed Tarpley. She then signed for magicJack ahead of the 2011 Women's Professional Soccer season.

She injured her knee during a match against Japan, on May 14, 2011, in Columbus, Ohio, consequently missing the 2011 Women's World Cup, and has not been called again to play for her national team. On February 7, 2013, Tarpley was drafted to play with the Chicago Red Stars for the 2013 NWSL season.