A Rising Star Returns to the Pitch
Sam Courtwright, a midfielder for Duke University, has been selected to the United Soccer Coaches Midfielders to Watch List for 2024, a recognition that underscores her rapid ascent in collegiate soccer.
The honor follows a career punctuated by accolades: she earned United Soccer Coaches All‑American honors in 2023 and was named to the 2025 First Team All‑Midwest Region. At Texas Tech she amassed nine goals, 15 assists and 33 points across 43 appearances, and she began her college career as a freshman who started every match, recording five goals and eight assists.
After transferring to Duke for her senior season, Courtwright returned from injury to start all 20 matches in 2024, contributing four goals and seven assists while earning First Team All‑Big 12 honors and a No. 71 ranking in TopDrawerSoccer’s postseason top 100.
Exhibition Game Brings Community Together
Duke will host an exhibition match on August 8, 2024, featuring Carolina Ascent FC, with former Blue Devil Lily Nabet slated to make a high‑profile return to Freeman Field. The event, free and open to the public, promises to showcase the program’s depth and the growing interest in women’s soccer in the region.
Fans attending the game in Durham will see a blend of experience and emerging talent, while the match also highlights the program’s ties to Texas, where Courtwright previously starred for Texas Tech before making the move to North Carolina.
Coach Dan Brooks praised the midfielder’s resilience, noting that her ability to contribute both offensively and defensively has been a catalyst for the team’s recent surge. As the season progresses, Courtwright’s performance will be closely watched by analysts and scouts alike, who see her as a potential professional prospect.
The upcoming exhibition not only serves as a preview of the upcoming campaign but also reinforces the strong community support for Duke women’s soccer, a program that continues to attract top talent from across the country.