Michelle Alozie
Michelle Chinwendu Alozie is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for National Women’s Soccer League team Houston Dash. And she represents the Nigeria women’s national team.
Born and raised in Apple Valley, California to Nigerian parents from Imo State, Nigeria. Alozie attended the Granite Hills High School in her hometown…
Career In Numbers
Journey to Stardom
My Career Path As a Professional Footballer
Michelle attended Yale University as an undergraduate and played football as a striker for the Yale Bulldogs.
She scored 19 goals in 49 appearances for the Yale Bulldogs but unfortunately, she suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury (Knee Injury) that ended her senior season.
Her injury didn’t stop her from graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Biology from Yale.
In 2017, Michelle won the Ivy League Co-Offensive Player of the Year… Unanimous first team All-Ivy selection… Named to United Soccer Coaches (formerly NSCAA) All-East Region second team… First team All-New England selection and was the top vote getter on the ballot… Tied for third in the Ivy League with nine goals… Added five assists to finish with 23 points, which was tied for second in the league… Four of her goals were game winners… One of only two players to start all 17 games… Recipient of the team”s Molly Woodroofe Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Michelle was transferred to the University of Tennessee as a graduate to play for the Tennessee Volunteers. She scored 3 goals for the Tennessee Volunteer team.
In 2019, she registered for the 2019 National Womens Soccer League(NWSL) College Draft but unfortunately, she wasn’t selected.
She didn’t give up on her dream of playing football professionally.
In 2020, she went to Kazakhstan where she signed for BIIK Kazygurt but it didn’t last. She trained and played with them for 3 months before COVID struck, and she had to return to California.
Alozie joined the Houston Dash, where Alozie’s childhood friend Ally Prisock was playing, as a preseason trialist without a contract in 2021. Dash assistant Twila Kilgore had previously recruited Alozie when Kilgore was head coach of the Pepperdine Waves.
Alozie signed a national team replacement contract during the 2021 Houston Dash season, then signed a full contract for the remainder of the season in August 2021. In the 2022 season, Alozie made her first postseason start in the Dash’s NWSL Playoffs appearance.
In December 2022, Alozie signed a two-year contract extension with the Dash
As a child, she has always dreamt of representing Nigeria, and when she heard that the Nigerian National team was coming to Houston, she had to do something.
She reached out to her club manager asking him to reach out to the Nigerian national team coach who used to be a former Houston Dash coach.
She asked if the team could allow her to practice with them or if possible come watch her play. The Nigerian coach agreed, and they came to watch her play and after which invited her to train with the national team to watch her practice.
They were impressed and that’s how she earned a national team call-up.
She’s an attacker, a striker who has modeled her game against the likes of Balotelli and Edison Cavani but when she came to the national team, she was told she would be used as a wing back and she agreed. She took the role and excelled in it thanks to her speed and agility on the field of play and she was one of Nigeria’s best players at the World Cup in Australia.
Honors & Achievements
My personal & Professional accolades
Club Honors
Yale Bulldogs
- 2015 Honorable Mention All-Ivy
- 2017 First Team All-Ivy
- Ivy League Rookie of the Week (9/7/15, 9/14/15)
- 2017 Ivy League Co-Offensive Player of the Year
- 2017 United Coaches All-Region (second team)
National Honors
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
- The CAF Women's Africa Best XI - 2023
Off-field Medical Career
Alozie obtained a Bachelors Degree in Molecular Biology from Yale University. She works part-time as a cancer research technician at the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas.
She would leave training by 1 pm, then head to Texas Children’s Hospital by 1:30 pm where she worked part-time as a cancer research technician.
She would work from 1:30 pm to 5 pm and when she was asked what fuelled her zeal for both, she said, “PASSION” and training from her Nigerian parents.
