Who Is Ashlyn Harris? New Details About The Soccer Star Who Just Got Engaged To Fellow Soccer Star Ali Krieger
She's played soccer since she was a teenager.
instagram Everyone loves a romantic story! And though Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez’s engagement was pretty sweet, there’s another that’s making us go “awwww” and wiping away tears. On March 13th, soccer stars Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris announced their engagement! The two players announced they had gotten engaged last September, and had been dating for nine years.
Their engagement is the first we heard of the relationship, and it has us wondering why they decided to wait to reveal their romance. Dubbed “Krashlyn,” we’re curious about how the two met and why they kept their relationship on the DL. But who is Ashlyn Harris?
Harris currently plays on the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, as well as Orlando Pride. Her team won the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. If that isn’t talent, we don’t know what is. But there’s much more to her story, as well as the parts that involve Krieger. Here are seven details to know about Ashlyn Harris, her career, and her future with her fiancé.
1. She’s been playing soccer since she was a teenager.
Growing up, Harris played club soccer on boys teams, playing for the Palm Bay Rangers and South Brevard United. In high school, she also played college and helped her team win state championship titles during her career.
According to Soccer America, “At the end of her high school career, Harris was a four-time Parade Magazine All-American, a four-time NSCAA Youth All-American, and a McDonald's All-American. She was the first female to be named to four consecutive Parade All-American soccer teams. She was named Florida Player of the Year for her last two years at Satellite High School.”
2. She then went on to play college soccer.
After high school, she signed to play with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Throughout her college career, she sustained a number of injuries, including a shattered thumb, torn right ACL, torn left ACL, and torn labrum.
3. She eventually played professionally.
Her career began when she started playing for the Pali Blues football club, eventually being picked at the 2010 WPS Draft of Women's Professional Soccer by Saint Louis Athletica. After the dissolution of Saint Louis Athletica, she played for Washington Freedom.
She then joined Western New York Flash, then FCR 2001 Duisburg, and was then signed by Washington Spirit. After that, she played for the Tyreso FF, and currently plays with Orlando Pride.
4. She and Krieger met on a team.
Back in 2010, the two met while playing on the same team.
According to Harris, “We became really close friends, and we just hung out, we clicked, and we had so much in common. We always sat next to each other on the bus and on flights, and we kind of just talked about our dreams and our hopes and what we wanted to do one day when we grew up. Because at the time, we were kids. The rest has kind of been history. Here we are nine years later, and we’re going to be getting married this year.”
5. But they kept things under wraps.
Though they weren’t trying to keep their romance hidden, they wanted to keep things professional and not distract the team.
Krieger told People Magazine, “We wanted to be professional and make sure that we showed up every day and did our job, and it wasn’t just because we were together, it was because we love what we do, and we’re really good at what we do. And that was most important for us.”
Harris also added, “We became more and more confident within and ourselves and then clearly within our relationship. Finally, after all these years, I just feel like I don’t have to hide anything or feel like I’m not living up to the community I’m in.”
6. They’ve had lovely things to say about one another.
Krieger revealed that she was originally attracted to Harris’ “creativity and ambition,” saying, “I find that so attractive, and the way that she makes me a better person. I think that I’m very quiet and reserved. Since being with Ash, I really feel like I’ve blossomed into the woman that I want to be, and she’s helped me become the woman I am.”
And for Harris, it was Krieger’s independence and assertive nature that she first noticed, as well as her eyes: “It was her big, beautiful brown eyes. She has these unbelievable tiger eyes. I just felt like every time she was talking, I wasn’t even paying attention to what she was saying.” How sweet is that?
7. Harris proposed to Krieger.
The two went on a picnic in Clearwater Beach, Florida, taking a sunset selfie, when Harris held up a ring and surprised Krieger! How did it all go down?
Krieger said, “It was a really good time because I felt really on the same page with her, and really excited about our future and talking about our future plans with kids, and family, and things like that. It just was a really good time. I was really surprised because it just seemed like another weekend getaway for us. I wasn’t really thinking about it at all!”
Harris also remembered the proposal, recalling, "It was just us and this beautiful scenery, and I was just like... she was making me laugh, she wanted me to take pictures, and here I am. This is what I’m gonna be doing the rest of my life. It just all froze and I was like, ‘this is it.’”
The couple have plans to wed at the end of the year. But in the meantime, Harris is currently training for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup this summer.
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.