HOUSTON (Sept. 6, 2024) - The Houston Dash and midfielder Sarah Puntigam have agreed to a new two-year contract that will commence on Jan. 1, 2025. The forward is one of three players that recently signed a contract extension with the team following the new collective bargaining agreement between the NWSL and NWSL Players Association.
"We value the leadership Sarah brings to the team and we are thrilled that she is invested in our long-term vision for the organization,” Dash President, Jessica O’Neill said. “She is a top-tier player that has delivered memorable moments on both ends of the field since she arrived last season. Off the field, she is a stellar ambassador for our organization and has embraced our community through her work with our charitable foundation and community partners. Retaining Sarah was among our top priorities as we evaluated the future of our roster and the new direction of the team.”
Puntigam joined the Dash midway through the 2023 season following a transfer from FC Köln in Germany. She made her Dash and NWSL debut in a 1-0 victory over Racing Louisville in the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup on July 29 at Shell Energy Stadium. She made her regular season debut on Aug. 19 in a 1-1 draw with the Washington Spirit at home. The midfielder has appeared in 25 games for the Dash in all competitions and tallied her first assist earlier this year against the Spirit on April 12.
"I am excited to continue with the Houston Dash as we build toward the future,” Puntigam said. “The club and city have welcomed my family and I with open arms and I feel I have a responsibility to fulfill the vision our leadership and fans have for this team. I am also grateful for so many memorable moments at Shell Energy Stadium and look forward to many more for years to come.”
Puntigam’s professional career began in Germany with Bayern Munich during the 2009 season. She began her tenure with the second team and finished with three goals in 25 appearances prior to spending the next four seasons with the senior team. She joined SC Feiburg in 2014 and finished with 79 appearances and four goals in her five seasons with the German club. The midfielder continued her career in France from 2018-2022 with Montpellier and finished with 10 goal contributions across 71 appearances for the club. She returned to Germany for the 2022-2023 season and finished with 21 appearances and two goals for Köln.
At the international level, Puntigam has earned 148 caps with the Austrian Women’s National Team since making her debut against the Faroe Islands on March 3, 2010. She has earned the most caps in team history and reached that milestone with her 110th appearance on Sept. 18, 2021.
