Carolyn Lisette Calzada (born March 6, 2003) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right back or center back for Portland Thorns FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Texas A&M Aggies and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Early life Calzada grew up in Sugar Hill, Georgia. She played a variety of sports as a child before focusing completely on soccer. She joined club team Tophat SC in 2016, where she contributed to three regional championship titles and one second place national finish. Calzada played one season of varsity soccer for Buford High School as captain. She led the team to its best record in program history, not conceding a single goal and advancing to the Georgia state semifinals. Calzada, who registered 15 goals and 12 assists, was named regional player of the year and received all-state honors. She also ran cross country, qualifying for a state meet in 2019.
College career
Texas A&M Aggies Calzada graduated early from high school in order to enroll early at Texas A&M University. In her first season with the Aggies soccer team, she started in each of her 17 appearances. She was named the team's 2022 Newcomer of the Year and earned a slot on the SEC All-Freshman team. She also recorded two assists, both of which occurred less than a week apart from each other.
As a sophomore, Calzada was named team defensive MVP after she helped Texas A&M register nine shutouts on the year. She was also recognized on the All-SEC first team, the United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region team, and the SEC All-tournament team; TopDrawerSoccer ranked her as one of the 100 best college players in the nation. Calzada's junior year was her last as an Aggie. She was one of the team's co-captains and received All-SEC second team honors. She left the program having made 54 appearances, all of which were as a starter.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish On December 12, 2024, Calzada transferred to the University of Notre Dame as a graduate student; she also received her bachelor's degree in allied health from Texas A&M on the same day. She participated in 18 matches for the Fighting Irish in 2025. Her efforts helped the team reach second place in the 2025 ACC tournament and the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Club career National Women's Soccer League club Portland Thorns FC announced that they had signed Calzada to her first professional contract, a two-year deal with a mutual option for a third year, on January 22, 2026. On February 21, Calzada made her professional debut during the preseason Coachella Valley Invitational tournament, substituting on at halftime for Jayden Perry. On April 26, she made her first NWSL regular season appearance and first professional start, playing the entirety of a 2–1 victory over Angel City FC and earning her first professional assist on Pietra Tordin's opening goal.
International career In 2019, Calzada was called up to the United States under-17 national team ahead of the UEFA Development Tournament. She participated in all three of the team's matches as the United States won the tournament, picking up victories against the Czech Republic, Belgium, and the Republic of Ireland. On April 21, 2021, Calzada was announced as one of the players invited to the under-19 national team's virtual training camp, led by Laura Harvey.
Personal life Calzada's brother, Zach Calzada, played three seasons of college football at Texas A&M University; the siblings' Aggies sports career did not overlap, with Zach transferring to Auburn University ahead of Carolyn's first collegiate season.
Calzada is of Cuban descent through her paternal grandparents.
Honors and awards
Individual First-team All-SEC: 2023 Second-team All-SEC: 2024 SEC all-freshman team: 2022 SEC tournament all-tournament team: 2023
References
External links
Carolyn Calzada at the Texas A&M Aggies