Jennifer Ann Nielsen (; born September 5, 1974) is an American retired

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

and former member of the

United States women's national soccer team The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States in international women's Association football, soccer. The team is the most successful in international women's soccer, winning four FIFA Women's World Cup, Wom ...

. In 2012, she was nominated for entry into the

National Soccer Hall of Fame The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 and currently located in Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The Hall of Fame honors soccer achievements in the United States. Induction ...

Life

Born in

Chula Vista, California Chula Vista (; ) is the second-largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the Largest cities in Southern California, seventh largest city in Southern California, the List of largest California cities by population, fifteenth largest city ...

, Lalor attended

Bonita Vista High School Bonita Vista High School (BVH) is a public, four-year (grade levels 9–12) high school located in the city of Chula Vista, California. It is part of the Sweetwater Union High School District, and offers both Advanced Placement and International ...

and helped the soccer team to two undefeated seasons and clinch two Metro League titles. She opted not to play high school soccer during her junior and senior years and instead played for the Southern California Blues club team.

Santa Clara University

Lalor attended

Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university's campus surrounds the historic Mis ...

, where she played for the

Broncos A bucking horse is any breed or either gender of horse with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for rod ...

from 1992-1996. In 1994, she led the team in assists with 20. She was named to the NSCAA All-American team in 1993, 1994 and 1996. Lalor played in two Final Fours with the Broncos and led the nation in assists in 1994 and 1996. She was a finalist for the Missouri Athletic Club Award and

Hermann Trophy The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top men's and women's college soccer players. History In 1967, Bob Hermann, the president of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and the ...

in 1993 and 1994. Lalor was the first player to ever receive a full scholarship for soccer to Santa Clara. She was inducted into the Santa Clara Hall of Fame in 2008. Lalor now coaches at San Diego Soccer Club.

Playing career

Club

From 1997–1998, Lalor played professionally in Japan for Shiroka Serena. In 1998, she played in Denmark for FB. In 1999, she played for Swedish club, Hammarby.

WUSA

Lalor was selected in the second round of the WUSA Inaugural Draft by the

New York Power The New York Power was an American professional soccer team that played in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional soccer league for women in the United States. The team played at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondal ...

. She played for the Power from 2001–2002. In 2003, she played for the San Diego Spirit.

International

Lalor was a member of the

player pool from 1987–1995. Her first appearance for the senior team occurred on August 18, 1992 in a match against Norway. She scored her first goal on August 13, 1994 during a match against Mexico. She previously represented the United States on the U-16, U-19, U-20 levels. From 1987-1991, she played for the U.S. Under-16 and Under-19 National Team. In 1993, she competed with the U-20 National team in France, when the team won the International Women's Tournament. In 1995, she was part of the team that took home bronze at the Women's World Cup in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. She returned to the national team player pool in 2001.

References

External links

* Living people 1972 births United States women's international soccer players Women's association football midfielders Santa Clara Broncos women's soccer players 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup players Hammarby Fotboll (women) players Damallsvenskan players Women's United Soccer Association players San Diego Spirit players New York Power players Shiroki FC Serena players Expatriate women's footballers in Japan Expatriate women's footballers in Sweden Nadeshiko League players American expatriate women's soccer players American expatriate sportspeople in Sweden American expatriate sportspeople in Japan American soccer coaches American women's soccer players {{US-women-footy-bio-stub