_297.jpg) Speck in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Meredith Madeline Speck[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1993-02-01)February 1, 1993 (age 33) | ||
| Place of birth | Rockville Centre, New York, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2013 | Albertson Fury | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2014 | Yale Bulldogs | 56 | (7) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015 | Västerås BK30 | ||
| 2016 | Western New York Flash | 6 | (0) |
| 2017–2025 | North Carolina Courage | 100 | (8) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of November 2, 2025 | |||
Meredith Madeline Speck (born February 1, 1993) is an American professionalsoccer player who plays as amidfielder. She spent the majority of her career with theNorth Carolina Courage, winning twoNWSL Championships, threeNWSL Shields, and twoNWSL Challenge Cups. She was the last remaining Courage player from theirWestern New York Flash days, where she won her firstNWSL Championship in 2016. She playedcollege soccer for theYale Bulldogs.
Speck grew up in a soccer family inRockville Centre, New York, onLong Island. She was coached by both her parents and has two older sisters who playedcollege soccer.[2][3] She attendedSacred Heart Academy, leading the team to the New York state championship in 2008, and became team captain in her senior year. She playedECNL club soccer for Albertson Fury under her future NWSL head coachPaul Riley.[2][4]
Speck played college soccer for theYale Bulldogs, where she recorded 7 goals and 15 assists in 56 appearances from 2011 to 2014. She became team captain and was named to theIvy League all-conference team three times.[4][5] While in college, she was selected to theUnited States under-23 team for a series of friendlies in Norway, but did not play due to a collarbone injury.[3]
Speck trained with the NWSL'sPortland Thorns in the 2015 preseason.[6] In August 2015, she signed her first professional contract withVästerås BK30 in Sweden's third-tierDivision 1.[3][7]
After a season in Sweden, Speck returned to the United States and joined the NWSL'sWestern New York Flash in the 2016 preseason. On April 23, the club announced that they had signed Speck to the active roster,[8] and she made her NWSL debut the same day, playing the entire match in a 1–0 loss to theChicago Red Stars.[9] She was the first Yale Bulldog to play in the NWSL.[4] She played in six total games that season.[10] She was unused in the playoffs as Western New York won theNWSL Championship, defeating theWashington Spirit on penalties.[11]
In January 2017, the Flash were bought by new ownership and relocated to become theNorth Carolina Courage.[12] During their first three seasons in North Carolina, the Courage were the team to beat in the NWSL, winning three consecutiveNWSL Shields and two NWSL Championships (2018 and2019).[13] In those early years, Speck played a limited role on the field but had an impact in training and the locker room, withSean Nahas commenting: "She's a massive glue piece for us ... She's a true pro, and I say that because for five years she never saw the field, but [she] never complained".[14]
On August 7, 2021, Speck scored her first NWSL goal in a 1–0 win overNJ/NY Gotham FC.[15] On November 7, she made her NWSL playoff debut as a second-half substitute forAmy Rodriguez in a 1–0 overtime loss to the Washington Spirit in the first round.[16]
On May 7, 2022, Speck played the last few minutes in theNWSL Challenge Cup final, seeing out a 2–1 win over the Washington Spirit.[17] Later that month, on May 18, she captained the Courage for the first time against theOrlando Pride.[18] On December 12, following a season in which the Courage missed the playoffs for the first time,[19] Speck signed a two-year contract extension with the club.[20]
Speck became part of the Courage's regular lineup for the first time in 2023.[10] On June 24, shetore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) playing againstRacing Louisville and missed the rest of the season.[21]
On March 5, 2024, Speck signed a one-year contract extension to stay with the Courage through 2025.[22] On May 17, she made her return from injury in a 1–0 home win over theUtah Royals.[23] In July, she posted three assists as the Courage topped their group inNWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup and was named to theNWSL Team of the Month for the first time.[24]
On August 22, 2025, Speck made her 100th regular-season appearance in the NWSL, marking the occasion with an assist toJaedyn Shaw in a 3–3 draw with theChicago Stars.[25]
Speck previously dated her North Carolina Courage teammateDebinha.[26]
Western New York Flash
North Carolina Courage
Individual
