Samantha (Sam) Estrada is an American professional soccer player from

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the ...

, who currently plays as a goalkeeper for the

Dallas Trinity FC Dallas Trinity FC (DTFC) is an American women's soccer team based in Dallas, Texas that began competing in fall 2024 as a member of the USL Super League, a Division I league operated by the United Soccer League. History Establishment A ...

in the

USL Super League The USL Super League (USLS) is a planned Division II professional women's soccer league in the United States, beginning play in 2023. The league will be owned and operated by the United Soccer League. History USL announced the formation of th ...

Early life

At twelve, Estrada began playing soccer with the New Mexico Rush. She later joined the Texas Rush, a ten-hour drive from her home in El Paso, and lived with a host family during three-week stays. Estrada later join the

Houston Dash The Houston Dash is a professional Women's association football, women's soccer team based in Houston, Texas. It joined the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the 2014 National Women's Soccer League season, 2014 season, and is affiliated w ...

's Development Academy and was invited to a U18 USWNT camp in October 2017.

College career

SMU Mustangs

Estrada received a full scholarship to

Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = " The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , pr ...

(SMU) in 2018, where she played for six years in the

American Athletic Conference The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA ...

(AAC). She experienced three ACL tears—first in her freshman year in 2018, then again in 2019, and for a third time in 2022 before her final season. Despite these injuries and three subsequent surgeries, Estrada recorded 175 career saves with the Mustangs, ranking 10th in program history. She also ranks 6th in save percentage and 7th in goals against average. During the

2021 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament The 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament was the 40th edition of the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament, a postseason tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA Division I women's college soccer. The College Cup was play ...

, Estrada achieved a shutout against Texas, helping SMU advance to the second round for the first time since 2006. In 2021, Estrada signed a Name, Image, and Likeness ( NIL) deal with Sam's Club, reportedly valued at $10,000.

Club career

AHFC Royals

After college, Estrada entered the

2024 NWSL Draft The 2024 NWSL Draft presented by Ally will be the twelfth annual meeting of National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchises to select amateur players above the age of 18 playing in the United States who exhausted, lost, or renounced any remaini ...

but was not selected. Afterwards, she joined

AHFC Royals The AHFC Royals are an American soccer club competing in the USL League Two. The Royals also field a team in the Women's Premier Soccer League. Year-by-year Honors League Championships *USL League Two **Winners: **Runners-up: * WPSL **Winner ...

, a Houston-based team in the

USL W League The USL W League (USLW) is a pre-professional women's soccer league in the United States which began play in May 2022. It was announced on June 8, 2021 by the United Soccer League with eight founding clubs. It follows the USL W-League, a simi ...

. The Royals completed the 2024 season undefeated, conceding only four goals across ten games. Estrada played her final match with the team on June 21, 2024.

Dallas Trinity

Estrada signed her first professional contract with Dallas Trinity FC on June 11, 2024, joining her former SMU teammate, Allie Thornton. Estrada was the club's fifth overall signing and made her professional debut in Dallas Trinity's inaugural match against Tampa Bay Sun FC on August 18, 2024.

Personal life

Estrada was born in El Paso, Texas, and later completed high school in The Woodlands, near Houston. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Methodist University in 2021, followed by two Master's degrees, one in Sports Management and the other in Business Administration. Estrada's father was also a goalkeeper who played with the

Dallas Burn Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wit ...

Career statistics

College

Club

References

External links

Samantha Estrada's profile
at

Samantha Estrada #0
at

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Estrada, Samantha 2000 births Living people American women's soccer players 21st-century American sportswomen Soccer players from Texas People from El Paso, Texas Women's association football goalkeepers Sportspeople from El Paso, Texas Soccer players from El Paso, Texas SMU Mustangs women's soccer players Dallas Trinity FC players USL W League players USL Super League players