SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Glens Soccer Club announced today that Duke defender Elle Piper has signed on for the 2023 USL W League season, pending league approval.

The San Jose native, who is part of the U.S. Youth National Team player pool, recently completed her freshman season where she helped the Blue Devils amass 11 clean sheets and earned All-ACC Academic honors. As the second signing in W League club history, she now joins a Glens back line that includes reigning National Freshman of the Year Elise Evans from Stanford.

“I’m so excited to be playing with the SF Glens this upcoming season and to be playing with some of the best players in the Bay Area,” said Piper. “I can’t wait to get started. Up the Glens!”

Piper is coming off a storied club career for the San Jose Earthquakes Academy, and later, Bay Area Surf, where she was named one of the top 50 college recruits in the country by TopDrawerSoccer after graduating from Valley Christian High School. Under the tutelage of her father and coach, Heath, her teams won three combined national championships in the U.S. Development Academy and Girls Academy. She also has preprofessional experience, earning All-PAC North Conference honors for the Surf last season in the WPSL.

“Elle comes from a strong and well-respected soccer family,” said Glens head coach Mike Sharabi. “She’s a proven winner! I’m looking forward seeing her impact each game this season.”

“I’m happy and thrilled that Elle will be joining us this season,” added fellow Glens assistant Yvan Trevino. “It’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to coach such a remarkable player. I’ve been watching Elle play for a while now, and I’m so excited to have one of the best outside backs in the country play for us.”

Piper will be reuniting with her father, now a member of the Glens’ W League staff. The elder Piper has USL experience; as a player in 1998-99, he featured on the men’s side for the California Jaguars in the A-League, a predecessor to today’s USL Championship.

The San Francisco Glens are entering their first USL W League season in the NorCal Division. Open tryouts will take place February 18 and March 12 at Skyline College. Register now at sfglens.com/tryouts.

ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO GLENS SC

With over 90 total teams and 1,100 youth and adult players, the San Francisco Glens are the largest and most diverse soccer club in The City. Founded in 1961, the Glens have established minor-league men’s team in USL League Two, a women’s team in the USL W League, and a comprehensive youth academy that includes a full pathway in MLS NEXT, the top youth league in America, right down to local micro soccer programs serving kids as young as Pre-K. Last year, the club announced the construction of a soccer-specific facility at Treasure Island with a targeted completion date by end of 2023.

As a community-focused 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Glens are proud to have never turned away a single player or family due to financial hardship thanks to internal fundraising efforts and a scholarship program that distributed over $200,000 last year alone. Visit us at sfglens.com and sfglensacademy.com.

ABOUT THE USL W LEAGUE

The USL W League is the nation’s premier pre-professional league developing the next generation of women’s soccer talent both on and off the field, enhancing the pipeline between college and professional soccer. Since the conclusion of the inaugural 2022 season, 25 W League alums have gone to sign a professional contract. In addition, seven players were drafted in the 2023 NWSL draft, and nine players have been invited to professional preseason training camps home and aboard. The USL W League strives to use women’s soccer as a force for societal good by creating a national platform to increase opportunity, gender equity, and career development. Visit uslwleague.com to learn more.