Ashlyn Puerta

Ashlyn Puerta
Puerta with Sporting JAX in 2025
Personal information
Date of birth (2007-02-27) February 27, 2007[1]
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Positions
Team information
Current team
 Sporting JAX
Number 19
Youth career
Albion SC
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024 Florida State Seminoles 21 (4)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2025– Sporting JAX 27 (12)
International career‡
2022 United States U-15 5 (5)
2026– United States U-19 2 (1)
2025– United States U-20 4 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of May 24, 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of June 6, 2025

Ashlyn Puerta (born February 27, 2007) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder or forward for USL Super League club Sporting JAX. After one season of college soccer with the Florida State Seminoles, she joined Sporting JAX and earned USL Super League Player of the Year honors after her debut season in 2026.

Early life

Puerta grew up in San Diego, California, and began playing soccer at an early age.[2] She played club soccer for Albion SC, leading her team to the Girls Academy (GA) national championship and being named the GA's most valuable player in 2022.[2] In 2023, she played regularly for the club's MLS Next boys' side.[2] Before college, she also trained with National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club NJ/NY Gotham FC, who offered her professional terms, and European clubs including Benfica and Real Madrid.[3] She was homeschooled through her childhood and graduated early to join Florida State at age 17. Previously ranked by TopDrawerSoccer as the No. 19 recruit in the 2025 class, she became the No. 62 recruit in the 2024 class, part of Florida State's top-ranked incoming class.[2][4]

College career

Puerta played in all 21 games, starting 9, and scored 4 goals with 5 assists for the Florida State Seminoles as a freshman in 2024.[5] She was named the 5th-best freshman in TopDrawerSoccer's midseason rankings and 57th at the end of the season.[6] She helped Florida State win their fifth consecutive ACC tournament and earn a one seed in the NCAA tournament, where they lost in the second round on penalties.[7] After one season at Florida State, she decided to go pro and give up her remaining college eligibility.[8]

Club career

USL Super League expansion club Sporting JAX announced on May 21, 2025, that they had signed Puerta and defender Georgia Brown to their first professional contracts, making them the club's first two signings.[8] She made her professional debut on August 23, playing the entirety of Sporting JAX's inaugural game, a 3–1 loss to DC Power FC.[9] The following week, she scored her first professional goals in a 3–2 victory over defending champions Tampa Bay Sun, netting twice in four minutes through a penalty and a tight-angled shot after a corner kick in the club's first win.[10] On September 28, she scored her first professional hat trick in a 4–3 win over the Carolina Ascent, getting all three goals in the first half.[11] Her strong performances (six goals in five games) led to her being crowned Player of the Month for September.[12]

On November 22, 2025, Puerta became the fastest USL Super League player to reach 10 career goals (11 games), scoring against Fort Lauderdale United in Sporting JAX's first home victory.[13] On December 20, she scored against the Tampa Bay Sun as Sporting JAX went top of the table going into the winter break.[14] Midseason fan voting showed her leading the race for the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards.[15] On March 22, 2026, she recorded an assist against the Dallas Trinity to break the league record for goal contributions in a season (17; 11 goals and 6 assists) previously set by Emina Ekić and Allie Thornton in the inaugural campaign (16).[16] On April 25, she scored her first goal of the year from the penalty spot in a 2–1 loss to title challengers Lexington SC, who eventually edged Sporting JAX for the Players' Shield.[17]

Puerta finished her rookie season with 12 goals and 7 assists in 27 games.[18] She ranked second in the league in goals (behind Catherine Barry) and tied for first in assists, earning the Golden Playmaker Award with the best assist rate.[18] In the playoffs, Sporting lost 1–0 to the Carolina Ascent in the semifinals.[19] Following her outstanding rookie season, Puerta won the league's Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards.[20]

International career

Puerta helped the United States under-15 team win the 2022 CONCACAF Girls' U-15 Championship, scoring five goals with three assists in five games.[21][22] She trained with the under-16, under-17, and under-18 teams over the following years.[23][24] She made her under-20 debut at the 2025 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship in Costa Rica, where the United States qualified for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[25] Following her call-up to the under-20 team later that year, she said, "I feel very blessed and grateful for this opportunity, and I give all glory to God."[26][27]

Puerta was called into a development camp, training concurrently with the senior national team, in January 2026.[28]

Personal life

Puerta's parents both played college soccer at Cal State Dominguez Hills.[2] She has three siblings.[2]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played May 24, 2026[29]
Club Season League Cup Playoffs Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sporting JAX 2025–26 USLS 27 12 — 1 0 28 12
Career total 27 12 — 1 0 28 12

Honors and awards

Florida State Seminoles

United States U-15

Individual

References

  1. ^ "National team roster – 2025 Concacaf Women's Under-20 Championship" (PDF). CONCACAF. p. 8. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Schram, Kani (September 15, 2024). "Ashlyn Puerta: Freshman Phenomenon". FSView & Florida Flambeau. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  3. ^ "Sporting JAX announces first player signings ahead of historic Gainbridge Super League debut". USL Super League. May 21, 2025. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  4. ^ "Final 2024 Women's DI Recruiting Rankings". TopDrawerSoccer. August 14, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  5. ^ "Ashlyn Puerta". Florida State Seminoles. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  6. ^ "College Soccer Player Rankings - Freshman". TopDrawerSoccer. October 8, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
    "College Soccer Player Rankings - Freshman". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  7. ^ "Florida State Wins 2024 Ally ACC Women's Soccer Championship". Atlantic Coast Conference. November 10, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
    Nee, Chris. "FSU Soccer season comes to an end on penalty kicks against Vanderbilt in NCAA Tournament Second Round". 247Sports. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Sporting JAX announces first player signings ahead of historic Gainbridge Super League debut". Sporting Club Jacksonville. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  9. ^ "Sporting JAX 1–3 DC Power FC". USL Super League. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  10. ^ Freeman, Clayton (August 30, 2025). "Goal! Here's how Sporting Jax women's soccer nettted first-ever win vs. reigning champion". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  11. ^ Freeman, Clayton (September 28, 2025). "Hat trick! Ashlyn Puerta makes history for Sporting Jax women's soccer". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  12. ^ "Gainbridge Super League Team of the Month – September". USL Super League. October 2, 2025. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  13. ^ Freeman, Clayton (November 22, 2025). "Finally: Sporting Jax women's soccer nets first home win". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved November 23, 2025.
  14. ^ Freeman, Clayton (December 20, 2025). "League leader: Sporting Club Jacksonville jumps to first place". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  15. ^ Gainbridge Super League [@gainbridgesuperleague]; (January 21, 2026). "The people have SPOKEN 🗣️". Retrieved April 19, 2026 – via Instagram.
  16. ^ Gainbridge Super League [@GainbridgeSL] (March 22, 2026). "Ashlyn Puerta has now set a single-season record with 17 goal contributions" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
  17. ^ "Sporting JAX women battle hard with Lexington SC, fall 2-1". Sporting Club Jacksonville. April 25, 2026. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  18. ^ a b c "Gainbridge Super League announces 2025/26 Golden Award Winners". USL Super League. May 18, 2026. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  19. ^ Barney, Justin (May 24, 2026). "Sporting JAX women's team falls in Gainbridge Super League playoff opener". WJXT. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  20. ^ a b c "Sporting Club Jacksonville's Ashlyn Puerta voted 2025/26 Gainbridge Super League Player of the Year". USL Super League. May 29, 2026. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  21. ^ "USA Wins 2022 Concacaf Girls' U-15 Championship With 4-1 Victory Over Canada On Goals From Alex Pfeiffer, Kennedy Fuller, Abby Ballek And Ashlyn Puerta". United States Soccer Federation. August 7, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  22. ^ "USA Advances to Semifinals of 2022 Concacaf Girls' U-15 Championship in Florida With 11-0 Win Over Jamaica". United States Soccer Federation. August 2, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  23. ^ "Soccer Announces the Signing of Ashlyn Puerta". Florida State Seminoles. April 9, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  24. ^ "U.S. Under-19 and U.S. U-18 Women's National Teams to Hold Concurrent Training Camps in Fayetteville, Ga". United States Soccer Federation. March 27, 2025. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  25. ^ "U.S. Under-20 WNT Opens 2025 Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship with Dominating 8-0 Win over Guyana as Izzy Engle Scores Four Times". United States Soccer Federation. May 30, 2025. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  26. ^ "Ashlyn Puerta called up to U.S. U-20 Women's National Team squad for Kansas City training camp". SportingJAX.com. Sporting JAX. October 21, 2025. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  27. ^ "Coaches Show Presented by Sporting Jax 9-30-25". SoundCloud.com. 1010XL/92.5 FM JAX Sports Radio. September 30, 2025. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  28. ^ "24 Players Named To U.S. National Team Development Camp Which Will Run Concurrently With USWNT Training Camp in Los Angeles". United States Soccer Federation. January 15, 2026. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  29. ^ "Ashlyn Puerta Sporting JAX". FotMob.com. FotMob. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  30. ^ "Gainbridge Super League Announces 2025/26 All-League Teams". USL Super League. May 26, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
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