Houston Dash Sign NCAA National Champion Linda Ullmark
NWSL Houston Dash

Houston Dash Sign NCAA National Champion Linda Ullmark

Published on January 13, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Houston Dash News Release


HOUSTON - The Houston Dash announced today the signing of midfielder Linda Ullmark through the 2029 season. Ullmark joins Houston following a decorated collegiate career at the University of North Carolina.

"Linda is an exciting attacking talent with a proven winning mindset and the qualities to make an immediate impact at the professional level," President of Women's Soccer Angela Hucles Mangano said. "Her success in a championship environment at North Carolina, combined with her experience on the international youth stage, speaks to both her consistency and competitiveness. A player of her quality can align seamlessly with the standards, culture and long-term vision we are building in Houston, and we're excited to support Linda's continued growth at the next level."

The Buffalo, New York native spent two seasons with the North Carolina Tar Heels, where she played a key role in the program's 2024 NCAA Women's Soccer National Championship run. She was named to the NCAA Tournament All-Tournament Team after scoring three goals in the first three rounds of the tournament, helping North Carolina secure its first national title in 12 years.

As a freshman in 2024, the midfielder was the only first-year player to start all 27 matches for the Tar Heels, finishing with six goals and five assists. She earned ACC All-Freshman Team honors and TopDrawerSoccer First-Team Freshman Best XI recognition. She followed that campaign with another strong season in 2025, scoring seven goals and leading the team with eight assists in 21 games.

Her impact was further recognized in 2025 when she earned United Soccer Coaches Division I Women's Soccer Fourth Team All-American and Third Team All-ACC honors, marking the first All-America selection of her career and highlighting her consistent contributions at the national level.

"I'm thrilled to embark on a new challenge and begin my professional career with the Houston Dash," Ullmark said. "I am incredibly grateful to my family, coaches and teammates who supported me throughout this journey and helped prepare me for the opportunity to compete in the NWSL. I'm excited to challenge myself every day and continue growing as a professional under the guidance of the Dash's technical staff. They have a clear vision of what they want to achieve this season, and I want to contribute to what they are building in Houston."

Before arriving in Chapel Hill, Ullmark starred at Nichols High School in Buffalo, New York, where she was named the New York Girls' Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year in both 2022 and 2023. A four-year MVP, she was also a multi-sport athlete, competing in lacrosse, basketball and squash. Her club career included time with the Western New York Flash, earning ECNL First Team honors twice, and FC Buffalo in the USL W League, scoring four goals in five appearances.

At the international level, Ullmark has represented the United States at the U-17, U-19 and U-20 levels. She made her U-20 debut at the 2025 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, recording two goals and two assists in four matches and earning Best XI honors.

Ullmark will report to Houston Sports Park later this month to begin the preseason with the Houston Dash. The team will compete in the Coachella Valley Invitational next month and face Dallas Trinity FC as part of its preseason slate. The Dash will open the regular season in March and season tickets for the upcoming campaign are available.

Check out the Houston Dash Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



National Women's Soccer League Stories from January 13, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central