Midge Purce Bio
Margaret Melinda “Midge” Williams-Purce, known professionally as Midge Purce, is an American soccer player who plays as a forward for Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States women’s national team. Born on September 18, 1995, in Silver Spring, Maryland, she has built a reputation as a strong dribbler and a dynamic attacking player willing to take on defensive responsibilities. She was named the Most Valuable Player of Gotham FC’s 2023 NWSL Championship and is widely recognized for her strength on the ball and her commitment to defending from the front.
Midge Purce Early Life and Background
Early Life and Background
Midge Purce was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she developed an early love for soccer. She is the daughter of James Purce and has an older brother, JP Purce, whose own involvement in the sport helped inspire her to begin playing as a child. Growing up in the Silver Spring area, she attended Parkland Magnet Middle School for Aerospace Technology before continuing her education at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic High School in nearby Olney, Maryland.
At Our Lady of Good Counsel, Purce emerged as one of the top youth soccer players in the country. She was named the Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year in 2012 and earned NSCAA All-American honors in both 2010 and 2011. These accomplishments laid the foundation for her future at the collegiate and professional levels.
Midge Purce Path to Soccer
Path to Soccer
Purce played college soccer at Harvard University from 2013 to 2016, suiting up for the Harvard Crimson women’s soccer team. Over the course of her career, she scored 42 goals in 69 appearances and majored in psychology with aspirations of one day attending law school. Her performances at Harvard earned her Ivy League Player of the Year honors in both 2015 and 2016, along with a first-team NSCAA All-American selection in 2016.
Alongside her collegiate success, Purce represented the United States at multiple youth international levels. She was called up to the under-17, under-20, and under-23 national teams, appearing in both the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She also scored for the U-20s against France in a friendly and against Mexico in the 2014 CONCACAF U20 Championship. These experiences helped prepare her for the transition to professional soccer.
Midge Purce Career
Early Career (2017)
After concluding her college career at Harvard, Midge Purce was selected by the Boston Breakers with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NWSL College Draft. She appeared in 22 games for Boston during her rookie season and scored one goal, gaining valuable professional experience as she adjusted to the pace of the top flight of American women’s soccer.
Portland Thorns Era (2018–2019)
When the Boston Breakers folded in January 2018, the NWSL held a dispersal draft for the team’s players, and Purce was selected with the fourth pick by the Portland Thorns. In her first season with the club, she made 21 appearances and 16 starts, primarily operating as a right fullback. During the 2019 NWSL season, Purce transitioned into wider and central forward positions, where she flourished and at one stretch scored five goals across a five-game span, signaling her emergence as a true attacking threat.
Gotham FC Era (2020–Present)
Purce was traded to Sky Blue FC, which later became NJ/NY Gotham FC, in 2020, marking the beginning of her most productive professional chapter. During the 2021 NWSL season, she played as a forward and scored nine goals to lead the team, finishing second in the NWSL Golden Boot race and earning a place on the NWSL Best XI alongside teammates Caprice Dydasco and Kailen Sheridan. She was also a finalist for the 2021 NWSL Most Valuable Player award.
In January 2022, Purce signed a two-year contract extension with Gotham FC, reinforcing her role as a central figure for the club. Though she was sidelined for much of the 2023 NWSL season after tearing her quad, she returned in time to be instrumental in Gotham’s playoff run, assisting both goals in the 1-2 Championship victory over OL Reign and earning Championship MVP honors. Her 2024 season was cut short by an ACL injury suffered early in the year, but she returned to the field in March 2025 and recorded an assist in her second game back. In May 2025, she scored her first goal since the injury in the semifinals of the 2024–25 CONCACAF W Champions Cup, drawing and converting a penalty in a 3-1 win against Club América. Gotham went on to defeat Tigres 1-0 to become the inaugural winners of the competition.
Playing Style and Strengths
Midge Purce is widely regarded as a strong dribbler and a dynamic, attacking forward who willingly takes on defensive responsibilities from the front. Her combination of physical strength, technical ability, and tactical flexibility has allowed her to operate effectively as a forward, winger, and fullback at various points in her career. She is known for her strength on the ball, her willingness to track back, and her capacity to contribute in both scoring and build-up phases of play.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the defining moments of Purce’s career are her selection as Championship MVP of Gotham FC’s 2023 NWSL title, her appearance on the 2021 NWSL Best XI, and her role in Gotham’s victory in the inaugural 2024–25 CONCACAF W Champions Cup. She has also won the SheBelieves Cup in 2021, 2022, and 2023 and the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship with the United States.
Midge Purce Career Wins
Midge Purce has compiled a strong record of team and individual accomplishments across her club and international career. With Gotham FC, she was part of the 2023 NWSL Championship squad and the 2024–25 CONCACAF W Champions Cup winning team. She has also collected three consecutive SheBelieves Cup titles and a CONCACAF W Championship with the senior United States national team.
National Women’s Soccer League Highlights
Purce has tallied multiple NWSL goals across her stints with the Boston Breakers, Portland Thorns, and Gotham FC, with her most productive stretch coming in 2021 when she scored nine goals to lead Gotham. She was named to the NWSL Best XI that year and finished as runner-up in the Golden Boot race.
Other Wins and Performances
In addition to her domestic league accomplishments, Purce has been part of championship-winning teams at the international level, including the 2021, 2022, and 2023 SheBelieves Cup and the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship. Her individual accolades include the 2023 NWSL Championship MVP award and a 2023 Forbes 30 under 30 selection in the Sports category.
Midge Purce Family
Family Background and Soccer Lineage
Midge Purce is the daughter of James Purce and grew up alongside her older brother, JP Purce, whose own involvement in soccer helped inspire her to take up the sport as a child. The sibling connection to the game played a meaningful role in shaping her early development as a player.
Personal Life
Outside of her playing career, Purce is an outspoken advocate for equal pay in women’s sports and co-founded the Black Women’s Players Collective, a nonprofit focused on advancing opportunities for Black girls in sport and beyond. She was elected in 2020 to a six-year term on Harvard University’s Board of Overseers with the support of the alumni climate activism group Harvard Forward, and she is also the creator of The Offseason, a reality series following NWSL players in training.
2025 Season Performance
Midge Purce’s 2025 season has been defined by her return to competitive play after a long recovery from an ACL injury suffered early in 2024. She returned to the field in March 2025 and quickly contributed, recording an assist in her second game back. Her form continued to build through the spring, highlighted by her first goal since the injury in the semifinals of the 2024–25 CONCACAF W Champions Cup, where she drew and converted a penalty in a 3-1 win over Club América.
Although her penalty in the Champions Cup final against Tigres was saved, Gotham FC still won 1-0 to claim the inaugural title. With a new contract keeping her at Gotham FC, Purce has remained a central figure for the club as she works her way back to full sharpness. Her continued presence in the squad and her leadership on and off the field are expected to shape Gotham’s outlook in the 2025 NWSL season and beyond.
