HARRISON, NJ (March 6, 2023) – NJ-NY Gotham FC today announced that U.S. Women’s National Team forward and NWSL star Margaret “Midge” Purce has signed a new multi-year contract with the club through 2024 that includes an option for the 2025 NWSL season.

“I’m excited to be a part of the vision to build Gotham into one of the greatest clubs in the world,” said Purce.

On the international stage, Purce appeared on the USWNT roster that won the SheBelieves Cup in February, and she also earned minutes during two international friendlies in New Zealand in January. For the USWNT, she has scored four goals and notched three assists in 23 matches since her debut in 2019.

Since joining Gotham FC via a trade with the Portland Thorns in 2020, Purce has emerged as a star and invaluable leader. Her breakout NWSL season came in 2021, when she led Gotham FC in scoring with nine goals, finished second in the NWSL’s Golden Boot race, was a finalist for NWSL MVP, and was named to the NWSL Best XI. Last season, she scored three goals and contributed three assists in 16 matches.

“This new contract for Midge is another step towards shaping Gotham FC for the present and the future,” said Head Coach Juan Carlos Amorós. “Midge is an outstanding player with the ability to make the difference in the final third. Her long-term commitment to the club shows that she believes in the project we are building. Midge is a player I am excited to work with and to help continue maximize her full potential.”

The 2023 season will be Purce’s seventh in the league after being selected by the Boston Breakers ninth overall in the 2017 NWSL draft. Purce turned pro after an outstanding collegiate career at Harvard, where she scored 42 goals in 69 matches, was twice named Ivy League Player of the Year, and was honored as a First Team NSCAA All-American in 2016. She led the Crimson to three conference titles and three NCAA tournament appearances. In 2027, Purce was awarded the Radcliffe Prize as Harvard’s top female student-athlete.

As dynamic as Purce is for Gotham FC and the U.S. Women’s National Team, she is equally a game-changer off the field. She was recently named by Forbes to its annual 30 Under 30 list, recognizing “athletes, founders, and executives blazing new trails in the sports world.” 

She serves as the youngest member of Harvard University’s Board of Overseers, and helped the U.S. Women’s National Team close its landmark collective bargaining agreement. Purce is a co-founder and board member of the Black Women’s Player Collective. The BWPC is made up of women in soccer “who have come together to transform the game we see today for generations to come. We understand that when we play the game, the world watches, and by changing the game for black women we can change the world.”

Purce is also the creator and CEO of “The Offseason,” which provides a dozen NWSL players with an elite training environment and the opportunity to share stories. The first edition of “The Offseason” content series debuted in December, 2022.

"This is a proud moment for our club and supporters because Midge is a core player for us and a fan favorite,” said GM and Head of Soccer Operations Yael Averbuch West. “This new contract is a reflection of Midge’s faith in our vision, and our belief in her. Midge will be a central part as we continue to build, and I’m confident that even greater days are ahead for her.”