Clare Gagne

Clare Gagne
Gagne with North Carolina in 2024
Personal information
Full name Clare Wilson Gagne[1]
Date of birth (2002-02-22) February 22, 2002[2]
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Kansas City Current
Number 0
Youth career
2014–2019 Minnesota Thunder
2016–2019 Orono Spartans
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2023 Brown Bears 28 (0)
2024 North Carolina Tar Heels 27 (0)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2025– Kansas City Current 0 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Clare Wilson Gagne (/ˈɡæɡni/ GAG-nee; born February 22, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Brown Bears and the North Carolina Tar Heels, helping lead the Tar Heels to the 2024 national championship. She was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Defensive Player.

Early life

Gagne grew up in Orono, Minnesota, one of four children born to Stacey Wilson and Steve Gagne. She attended Orono High School, where she captained the soccer team, earned all-state honors two times, and helped reach three state championship games. She played ECNL club soccer for the Minnesota Thunder Academy. She was ranked as the fifth-best goalkeeper of the 2020 class.[3][4]

College career

After her freshman season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Gagne shared goalkeeping duties for the Brown Bears for the next two seasons. She played in 2 games in 2021, then made 10 appearances with 7 starts in 2022. She then became the undisputed starter in her senior year in 2023, posting 7 clean sheets in 15 starts. Gagne won the Ivy League regular-season championship all three seasons she played for the Bears.[3][5]

After four years in Providence, Gagne transferred to the North Carolina Tar Heels as a graduate student for her final season in 2024. New teammate Maddie Dahlien, also from Minnesota, helped recruit her when she was in the transfer portal.[6] She started all 27 games for the Tar Heels and kept 13 clean sheets (third in the nation).[4] She was nicknamed "Air Clare" for her heroic performances.[7] She made 74 saves on the season with a career-high 13 in a 4–2 loss to Florida State. In the NCAA tournament, she saved a penalty kick against Santa Clara in a tight 1–0 win in the second round. She ended up allowing only one goal in six NCAA tournament games, shutting out Duke 3–0 in the semifinals and Wake Forest 1–0 in the final, as North Carolina won its 23rd national title and first since 2012. She was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Defensive Player.[4][8] TopDrawerSoccer named her to their second-team Best XI and ranked her as 23rd-best player and second-best goalkeeper in the nation.[9]

Club career

The Kansas City Current announced on January 8, 2025, that they had signed Gagne to her first professional contract on a one-year deal.[10] She joined Brazilian starter Lorena and backup Laurel Ivory as the third-stringer in the club's new-look goalkeeping pool.[11] After suffering a head injury in training, she was placed on the season-ending injury list in September.[12] Kansas City won the NWSL Shield with the best record in the league.[13]

On January 9, 2026, Gagne re-signed with the Current on a one-year contract.[14]

Honors and awards

Brown Bears

North Carolina Tar Heels

Kansas City Current

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Full Commencement Program 2024" (PDF). Brown University. p. 12. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  2. ^ "Clare Gagne". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Clare Gagne". Brown Bears. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Clare Gagne". North Carolina Tar Heels. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  5. ^ "Brown Women's Soccer Claims Fourth-Consecutive Ivy League Title". Ivy League. October 21, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  6. ^ Hettesheimer, Cassidy (March 10, 2025). "Three Minnesotans make history in new era for women's soccer". Minnesota Star Tribune. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  7. ^ "NCAA Wake Forest Game Notes" (PDF). North Carolina Tar Heels. December 9, 2024. p. 12. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  8. ^ Koh, Michael (December 9, 2024). "UNC Women's Soccer Beats Wake Forest to Win 23rd National Championship". Chapelboro.com. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  9. ^ "2024 Women's DI Postseason Awards". TopDrawerSoccer. December 18, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
    "College Soccer Player Rankings - National". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  10. ^ "Kansas City Current signs trio of collegiate stars Two U17 World Cup stars and a NCAA National Champion set to join Kansas City". Kansas City Current. January 8, 2025. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  11. ^ Bell, Thad (January 9, 2025). "KC Current add three college players". Kansas City Soccer Journal. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
  12. ^ "Match Preview: Kansas City Current Opens September Slate on the Road at Bay FC". Kansas City Current. September 5, 2025. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  13. ^ a b "Kansas City Current Claims 2025 NWSL Shield, Presented By CarMax". National Women's Soccer League. September 20, 2025. Retrieved September 20, 2025.
  14. ^ "Kansas City Current Re-Signs Goalkeeper Clare Gagne Through 2026". Kansas City Current. January 28, 2026. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
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