Following a successful collegiate career at the University of Southern California that saw her help the Trojans to the 2016 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, defender Ally Prisock was selected as the 12th overall pick by the Houston Dash in the 2019 NWSL College Draft.
“I had a really good group of girls all four years that I was there,” Prisock said of her college experience. “They definitely helped prepare me for the next level and to be a professional athlete.”
After earning a contract with the Dash after the preseason, Prisock found herself not receiving playing time in the opening stages of the NWSL season behind a crowded defensive core. Despite not playing, Prisock took the opportunity to learn the professional game.
“Just sitting on the sideline, you get a different perspective and you get to see what they do, what you need to do,” Prisock said.
Prisock saw her opportunity to make an impact for the defense when the start of the FIFA Women’s World Cup saw the loss of fellow defenders Allysha Chapman, Lindsay Agnew, and Claire Polkinghorne to the Canadian and Australian national teams, respectively. With the openings in the defense, Prisock found herself in a position to start for the Dash.
She has made the most of her starting opportunities, appearing in the last two matches for the Dash and helping the squad earn two draws, including a 1-1 split at Reign FC on June 2 that gave the Dash their first points in Washington in club history. In her two appearances, Prisock has provided twelve clearances and won thirteen duels for the backline.
“I’ve just been learning a lot from Claire and Amber [Brooks],” Prisock said. “Just watching them and learning from them has really helped prepare me to go out there.”
Prisock will look to continue the Dash’s unbeaten road streak on Saturday when the club travels to Boyds, Maryland to take on the first-place Washington Spirit at 6 pm CT at the Maryland SoccerPlex.
“We just want to go out there and win, honestly,” Prisock said. “At the end of the day, that’s all we want to do.”
The game will be streamed live on Yahoo! Sports.
