Cincinnati- Earlier this morning former Cincinnati Soccer star Ashley Barron inked a one-year deal with Swedish Soccer Club KIF Orebro DFF.
Following the NSWL Draft a couple weeks ago, Barron had received an invitation to attend preseason camp with the 2023 NSWL Champions in Gotham FC in New Jersey. However, the talented defender has elected to take her talents overseas instead, to the highest professional division of Womans soccer in the country of Sweden.
Barron, becomes the first Bearcat this decade to sign with a professional soccer club, as the last to do so, was Vanessa Giles back in 2017, who has since then gone on to win a gold medal with Canada during the 2021 Olympics.
Barron cemented her legacy at Cincinnati during her five-year career, where she became not only the first Bearcat, but athlete to earn Defensive player of the Year honors in three straight seasons during Cincinnati’s time in the American Athletic conference. That was a feat that no other athlete has ever achieved across all 22 sports within the American Conference, just think about that for a second.
Barron, not only achieved prestigious honors from the coaches around the American Athletic and Big 12 conference. She also etched her name into the history books here at Cincinnati university where she now sits 2nd all time in minutes (7,111), and 9th all time with 81 career starts, with 76 consecutive starts to end her stellar playing career.
Barron was the heart and soul of the Bearcats soccer program over the last five seasons and her hard work has now paid off as she prepares for the next chapter of her playing career. However, when you think of Cincinnati Soccer, Ashley Barron will be a name that will get brought up for many years to come down the line. Over her playing career Barron, made an impact not only on the pitch, but off the field as well, as was named a CSC All-American District honoree in 2022, which honors the most outstanding student athletes across the country.
