University of Iowa Athletics
Samantha Cary - Women's Soccer - University of Iowa Athletics

#9 Samantha Cary

Position D
Height 5-8
Class Freshman
Hometown St. Charles, Mo.
High School Francis Howell North
Club Team SLSG-MO

2023 Honors – All-Big Ten Second Team honoree… One of four players in program history to earn United Soccer Coaches First Team All-North Region recognition… United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American… United Soccer Coaches Academic All-North/Central Region… CSC Academic All-District… Academic All-Big Ten… Defensive Player of the Big Ten Tournament… All-Big Ten Tournament Team member.. named a Big Ten Player to Watch for the fourth year running… College Soccer News National Team of the Week on Oct. 30… earned three Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 5, Sept. 12 and Oct. 3… voted Iowa C0-MVP… team captain. 2023 – Anchored the Iowa defense en route to program records for shutouts (13) and goals against average (0.76)… snagged five points on one goal and three assists… two assists came against Michigan State in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament… played the entirety of 17 games… led Iowa position players with 1,957 minutes through 22 starts… finished Iowa career as all-time leader in minutes (8,322), games played (97) and starts (96)… first Hawkeye selected in the NWSL Draft; 48th pick by Racing Louisville FC.

2022 Honors – Named Big Ten Player to Watch for third consecutive season… team captain…  team Hawk Award recipient… Academic All-Big Ten… Big Ten Distinguished Scholar… CoSIDA Academic All-District… letterwinner. 2022 – Started all 18 games. playing the entirety of 14 of those contests… logged 1,552 minutes for the season, ranking second on the team… three points on one goal (at UNI, 9/11) and one assist (vs DePaul, 8/28)… attempted 18 shots, six of which were shots on goal… lead a stalwart Hawkeye defense that allowed just 18 goals through 18 games, allowed no more than one goal in 13 of 18 games played and posted six clean sheets.

2021 Honors – Big Ten Player to Watch… CoSIDA Academic All-District…. voted recipient of Iowa’s Hawk Award… Big Ten Distinguished Scholar… Academic All-Big Ten honoree… letterwinner. 2021 — Started 19 of 20 games she appeared in… logging the second most minutes with 1,749 minutes… played 90 minutes or more in 14 games… attempted 18 shots with 13 being on goal… tallied two goals and three assists… tallied her two goals against Purdue Fort Wayne (9/02) and Michigan State (10/03)… integral member of an Iowa defense that gave up 20 goals with seven clean sheets.

2020 Honors – Big Ten Player to Watch… voted the recipient of Iowa’s Hawk Award… Academic All-Big Ten selection… named to the President’s and Dean’s List during the fall and spring semesters. 2020 – Started 16 games as a defender, logging 1,405 minutes… attempted six shots with four being on goal… tallied an assist in Iowa’s 1-0 NCAA Tournament victory at Campbell (4/30)… missed the Big Ten Tournament title game after being issued two yellow cards in semifinal victory at Penn State (4/15)… key defender in helping Iowa post six shutouts… played 90 or more minutes in 11 games… named to Big Ten Preseason Honors List.

 

2019 Honors — Named 29th-best freshman nationally by TopDrawerSoccer on Oct. 15… named to the Dean’s List for fall and spring semesters. 2019 — Started all 21 games, logging 1,660 minutes — fourth-most on the team… played 90 or more minutes in eight games… scored one goal and had three assists… tallied her first career point, registering an assist in win over UNI (8/25)… assisted on the game-winning goal at No. 14 NC State… scored her first career goal in the win over Northern Colorado (9/13)… tallied an assist in 4-0 win over Maryland (10/13)… key member of an Iowa defense that had eight shutouts and allowed seven or fewer shots in 13 games.

2018 Honors — Named to the Dean’s List during the spring semester. 2019 — Joined the program in January, 2019.

High School — Three-time all-state, all-region, and all-conference selection… team co-captain as a junior… led team in goals from freshman to junior seasons and assists as a sophomore and junior… St. Louis Llewelyn Player of the Week as a junior… helped team to district titles in 2016 and 2018 and a conference title in 2016… played club soccer for St. Louis Scott Gallagher and ECNL-Missouri… led team to ECNL Midwest Conference title in 2017 and 2018, leading team to back-to-back undefeated seasons (13-0-3 in 2017; 17-0-0 in 2018)… team was the North American Cup National title runner-up in 2016… chosen to attend the Midwest Regional ECNL Player Development Program in 2016 and 2017… three-time Gateway Athlete Conference All-Academic team selection… has a 4.73 grade point average, ranking first in her class… Associated Press National Scholar in 2018… Wendy’s High School Heisman school winner and state qualifier in 2018… member of the National Honor Society and Quill and Scroll Journalism Honor Society… recipient of the Quill and Scroll Gold Key Award in 2018… high school coaches were Mark Olwig and Larry Scheller… club coach was Ralph Richards.

Personal — Born Oct. 26, 2000, in St. Charles, Missouri… daughter of Andrew and Kimberly Cary… has an older brother, Zachary… member of Girl Scouts, receiving the Gold Award in 2016… served on board of directors from 2017-19… majoring in public health.