The Washington Spirit have re-signed midfielder Tori Huster to a new two-year contract. Huster joins teammates Dorian Bailey, Aubrey Bledsoe, Jordan DiBiasi, Bayley Feist, Ashley Hatch, Tegan McGrady, Paige Nielsen, Ashley Sanchez, Sam Staab, and Andi Sullivan as players under contract for 2021.
Spirit Head Coach Richie Burke had this to say about Huster: “Getting our senior co-captain over the line with a new improved contract, which will see her continue her distinguished career at the Spirit, has been a huge priority for our club. In my biased opinion, Tori was the best right back in this summer’s Challenge Cup, and her play over the last two seasons has certainly warranted an upgraded contract offer. I’m so happy to keep her at our club and can’t imagine picking a Spirit team without her on it. She is a massive part of our plans moving forward and together, we are committed to bringing an NWSL championship to the Spirit!”
A leader on and off the field, Huster has spent every season with the Spirit since joining the club with the second pick in the 2013 NWSL Supplemental Draft. She has been an instrumental part of the team, having played a total of 143 games, starting 135 of those, and racking up a total of 11,986 minutes played, which are all team-high numbers. During that time, she has recorded over 175 clearances, forced over 148 interceptions and has made over 36 blocks. Additionally, Huster has also made contributions in the attacking third of the field, having scored three goals and assisted in five. In addition to her stats on the field, her leadership has been a vital factor in the Spirit’s success.
“I am happy to have the opportunity to continue this journey with the Spirit,” said Huster. “I am really looking forward to the future of this club and I am excited to be a part of it!”
During NWSL off-seasons, Huster has played for the Western Sydney Wanderers in the Westfield W-League in Australia (2013-2014) and the W-League team Newcastle Jets (2014-2015 and 2017-2018). During her 2017-2018 stint with the Jets, she made 12 appearances with the team, scoring three goals.
Prior to starting her pro career, Huster was a four-year starter at Florida State. She made 92 appearances during her career for the Seminoles, scoring 20 goals and adding 19 assists. She was named a first-team Scholar All American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in 2011, a third-team All American, as well as first team All-ACC in her final season at FSU.
Spirit CEO and Director of Sporting Operations Larry Best had this to say on the re-signing: “Tori brings unparalleled experiences on and off the field as a leader and field general and she is the quintessential team player that represents playing the Spirit Way in every facet of the game.”
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