Maddie Dahlien

Maddie Dahlien

Dahlien with North Carolina in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Madeline Grace Dahlien
Date of birth	(2004-07-25) July 25, 2004
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s)	Center forward, winger
Team information
Current team	North Carolina Tar Heels
Number	5
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2022–	North Carolina Tar Heels	47	(5)
International career‡
2023–	United States U-20	12	(6)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of September 11, 2024

Madeline Grace Dahlien (born July 25, 2004) is an American college soccer player who plays as a forward for the North Carolina Tar Heels and the United States national under-20 team. A two-sport athlete in high school, Dahlien won multiple Minnesota state track and field championships at Edina High School.

Early life

Dahlien was raised in Edina, Minnesota. She played for Edina Soccer Club before high school, when she joined Minnesota Thunder Academy, the state's only team in the Elite Clubs National League, and was named an All-American in 2020–21. She attended Edina High School, where she recorded 92 career goals and 43 assists and was named all-state three times. She scored 37 goals in her senior year in 2021, helping lead her team to the state semifinals.

Dahlien also starred in track and field in high school, coming second at the state championship in the 100, 200, and 400 meters as a freshman; sweeping the 100, 200, and 400 meters as a junior; and winning the 200 meters and long jump as a senior, narrowly coming second in the 100 and 400 meters. Following her senior year, she was named the Star Tribune Female Athlete of the Year. She committed to the University of North Carolina for soccer in August 2020 and considered additionally joining the track team.

College career

Dahlien started five of 26 appearances for the North Carolina Tar Heels as a freshman in 2022, recording four goals and three assists, and was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference all-freshman team. She scored a brace against BYU in the third round of the NCAA championship, where the Tar Heels ended as national runners-up. She started five of 21 appearances as a sophomore in 2023.

International career

Dahlien first trained with the United States youth national team at a combined under-18/under-19 camp in April 2023. She was one of the youngest players selected to the under-20 roster for 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, scoring a hat trick in her youth international debut against Jamaica in the group stage. She entered the starting lineup as the team finished as runners-up to Mexico, securing qualification to the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

Dahlien appeared off the bench in every game at the U-20 Women's World Cup. She scored in both of the team's group stage wins over Morocco and Paraguay. In the quarterfinals, trailing Germany 2–0, the United States came back in the last moments of regulation with a goal from Jordynn Dudley and an own goal forced by Ally Sentnor in the 90+8th and 90+9th minutes—the latter off Dahlien's deflected cross; they advanced in a penalty shootout. Following a semifinal defeat to North Korea, Dahlien forced a 119th-minute own goal in a 2–1 extra-time win over the Netherlands, helping the United States finish the tournament in third place.

External links

• Maddie Dahlien at Soccerway