Abigail Lindsay Hugh (born August 17, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender or midfielder for USL Super League club Fort Lauderdale United. She played college soccer for the Marshall Thundering Herd and the NC State Wolfpack.
.jpg) Hugh with NC State in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Abigail Lindsay Hugh[1] | ||
| Date of birth | August 17, 2002[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Fort Lauderdale United | ||
| Youth career | |||
| West Virginia FC | |||
| 2016–2019 | St. Joseph Central Irish | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2023 | Marshall Thundering Herd | 62 | (10) |
| 2024 | NC State Wolfpack | 17 | (1) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022 | Florida Elite | 8 | (3) |
| 2023 | Kalamazoo FC | 11 | (3) |
| 2024 | Wake FC | 7 | (1) |
| 2025 | Pittsburgh Riveters | 10 | (0) |
| 2025 | Apollon | 0 | (0) |
| 2026– | Fort Lauderdale United | 13 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 03:35, May 18, 2026 (UTC) | |||
Early life
editHugh grew up in Huntington, West Virginia, the daughter of Tammy and Chris Hugh, and has an older brother.[2] She attended St. Joseph Central Catholic High School, where she was named all-state as a defender and midfielder in her junior and senior years.[3] She played club soccer for West Virginia FC. She committed to play college soccer for her hometown Marshall University before her senior year.[4]
College career
editHugh played four seasons for the Marshall Thundering Herd, scoring 10 goals and tallying 9 assists in 62 games.[5] In 2020, she was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year after leading the league with 8 goals.[6] In 2024, she transferred to the NC State Wolfpack to use her fifth year of eligibility granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, scoring 1 goal in 17 games with 5 starts.[5] During college, she also played in the summer for USL W League clubs Florida Elite,[7] Kalamazoo FC,[8] and Wake FC.[9]
Club career
editAfter college, Hugh spent the summer with USL W League expansion club Pittsburgh Riveters, displaying her versatility at left back, center back, defensive midfielder, and even attacking midfielder.[10] She led the Riveters to the division title and was named the divisional player of the year.[10] In July 2025, she signed her first professional contract with Cypriot First Division champions Apollon on a three-month deal that would extend if the club progressed in the qualifying rounds for the UEFA Women's Champions League.[5] On August 27, she made her professional debut as a 60th-minute substitute in a 1–0 qualifying loss to Young Boys.[11] Three days later, she played the entire match as Apollon were beaten 3–2 by Hibernian, eliminating them from European competition.[12]
In January 2026, Hugh signed with USL Super League club Fort Lauderdale United for the spring part of the season.[13] She made her Super League debut on February 7, 2026, starting and playing 65 minutes of Fort Lauderdale's 4–0 loss to the Dallas Trinity.[14] The following match, Hugh recorded her first goal and first assist for her new club as Fort Lauderdale fought to a 3–3 draw with Brooklyn FC.[15]
Honors and awards
editIndividual
- Conference USA Freshman of the Year: 2020
- Second-team All-USL W League: 2025
References
edit- 1 2 "Abigail Lindsay Hugh". UEFA. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Abi Hugh". Marshall Thundering Herd. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ↑ "HS Girls: TDS Fall State Stars". TopDrawerSoccer. July 24, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
Shealer, Sheldon (July 21, 2020). "HS Girls: TDS Fall State Stars". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved January 30, 2026. - ↑ "Recruiting Roundup: July 8-14". TopDrawerSoccer. July 8, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Stephens, Tim (August 5, 2025). "Pro soccer: Former Irish star Hugh playing in Cyprus". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ↑ "WSOC: 2020 All-Conference Awards Announced". Conference USA. April 12, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Florida Elite Soccer Academy - 2022 Regular Season - Roster". USL W League. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ↑ Bianchi, Nolan (May 27, 2023). "Early goal sinks DCFC W League team in 1-0 loss". The Detroit News. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Wake FC Pre-Professional (2024)". USL W League. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- 1 2 Guth, Jonathan (July 31, 2025). "Award-winning Abi". The Herald-Standard. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ↑ Bossers, Adam (December 24, 2025). "Hugh recounts gains from Riveters season". Retrieved January 31, 2026.
- ↑ Abi Hugh at Flashscore
- ↑ "Fort Lauderdale United Adds Versatile Defender Abi Hugh Ahead of Spring Season". Fort Lauderdale United FC. January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Match Center - Fort Lauderdale United FC vs Dallas Trinity FC - 02/07/2026". Gainbridge Super League. February 7, 2026. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- ↑ "Fort Lauderdale Earns Point in Thrilling Draw vs. Brooklyn". Fort Lauderdale United FC. February 14, 2026. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
External links
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