# Kaleigh Kurtz

Kaleigh Nicole Kurtz (born September 9, 1994) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Kurtz played collegiately for the South Carolina Gamecocks, where she was the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year and a first-team All-American in 2016. After one season with Swedish club Östersunds DFF, she joined the Courage in 2018. She has won two NWSL Shields, two NWSL Championships, and two NWSL Challenge Cups with the Courage. Since becoming a starter for the team in 2021, she has set the NWSL record for consecutive minutes played, becoming a three-time iron woman.

## Early life and college career

Kurtz grew up in Greer, South Carolina. She started playing soccer at the age of four in her local YMCA league, switching to Carolina Elite Soccer Academy at age nine. She played other competitive sports growing up, including swimming and running. In soccer she has almost always played the position of defender, specifically center back. She attended high school at Riverside High School, where she was a three-year all-State winner. Going into her junior year of high school, Kurtz broke her femur which ultimately affected her college recruiting prospects.
Kurtz spent her first year of college soccer at the University of Richmond in 2013, starting 18 games. After that season, she transferred to the University of South Carolina. Kurtz made 69 appearances for the Gamecocks. South Carolina reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament in 2014 and 2016. In her senior year in 2016, she was named a First Team NSCAA All-American, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and a MAC Herman Trophy Semifinalist.

## Club career
### Östersunds DFF

Following college, Kurtz played for Östersunds DFF in the Swedish Elitettan, fulfilling her desire to play overseas. She made 12 appearances and captained the side.

### North Carolina Courage
#### 2018–2019

Kurtz was a non-roster invitee during the 2018 Carolina preseason. She signed with the Courage in March 2018. She debuted on April 18, 2018, starting at center back against the OL Reign. She made six appearances in the 2018 regular season, as well as two in the 2018 Women's International Champions Cup. Kurtz's option for 2019 was picked up in October 2018.

#### Canberra United (loan), 2019–2020

Kurtz spent the NWSL offseason of 2019–2020 in the Australian W-League playing in the capital for Canberra United, on loan from the North Carolina Courage. She played every minute in the 12-game season for Canberra. During round 6, Kurtz broke her nose in the run of play having to come off shortly to get fully bandaged in order to stop the bleeding, and then competing in the final minutes of the game. She was later named to the round 6 Team of the Week. She tallied one assist during her time in Australia and led the league in clearances with a total of 69 clearances during the regular season. Kurtz capped off her time in Canberra by receiving the 2019/2020 Canberra United Player of the Year award.

#### 2021–present

Following the departure of Abby Dahlkemper, Kurtz became one of the Courage's starting center backs alongside Abby Erceg in the 2021 season.
Kurtz played every minute of the regular season in 2022, becoming an iron woman for the first time. Following the 2022 season, she signed a new three-year contract with the Courage.
Kurtz continued her iron woman streak through the 2023 season and ranked second in the NWSL in blocks (22). She was named to the NWSL Second XI and nominated for NWSL Defender of the Year.
Kurtz broke the NWSL regular-season consecutive minutes record on May 24, 2024, passing Amber Brooks's mark of 6,493 minutes. She accumulated four yellow cards with eight games left in the 2024 season, meaning that one more card would result in a suspension; she managed not just to complete her third consecutive iron woman season without a card but did not commit a single foul in that span.

## Honors

South Carolina Gamecocks
* 2016 SEC Defender of the Year
* 2016 First Team NSCAA All-American
* 2016 First Team NSCAA Scholar All-American
North Carolina Courage
* NWSL Champions: 2018, 2019
* NWSL Shield: 2018, 2019
* Women's International Champions Cup Winner: 2018
* NWSL Challenge Cup: 2022, 2023
Canberra United
* 2019/2020 Canberra United Player of the Year
Individual
* NWSL Best XI Second Team: 2023
* NWSL Best XI First Team: 2024

## Career statistics

As of April 20, 2019
| League | Club | Season | League | League | League | Playoffs | Playoffs | Total | Total |
| League | Club | Season | Apps | Assists | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| NCAA | University of Richmond Spiders | 2013 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| NCAA | South Carolina Gamecocks | 2014 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| NCAA | South Carolina Gamecocks | 2015 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| NCAA | South Carolina Gamecocks | 2016 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| NCAA | South Carolina Gamecocks | total | 75 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 88 | 2 |
| NWSL | North Carolina Courage | 2018 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NWSL | North Carolina Courage | 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 |
| NWSL | North Carolina Courage | total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Elitettan | Östersunds DFF | 2017 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Elitettan | Östersunds DFF | total | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 93 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 106 | 2 |