Chris Hegardt

Last updated

Chris Hegardt
Personal information
Full name Christopher Hegardt
Date of birth (2002-01-06) January 6, 2002 (age 23)
Place of birth San Diego, California, United States
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Orange County SC
Number 16
Youth career
2010–2016 San Diego Surf
2016–2017 LA Galaxy
2017–2018 ASC San Diego
2018–2020 Seattle Sounders
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020–2021 Georgetown Hoyas 31 (3)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2019–2020 Tacoma Defiance 17 (1)
2022–2023 Charlotte FC 7 (0)
2022Charlotte Independence (loan) 13 (3)
2023Crown Legacy (loan) 7 (1)
2023Loudoun United (loan) 6 (1)
2024 Stabæk 9 (0)
2024Orange County SC (loan) 14 (1)
2025– Orange County SC 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of January 17, 2025

Christopher Hegardt (born January 6, 2002) is an American soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Orange County SC in the USL Championship. He played in the Seattle Sounders Academy and for reserve side Tacoma Defiance before making his Major League Soccer debut with Charlotte FC in 2022.

Contents

College career

Hegardt played for two seasons with the Georgetown Hoyas, scoring three goals in 31 matches. The Hoyas won the Big East tournament and advanced to the 2021 College Cup semifinals. [1]

Professional career

Hegardt made several appearances for the Tacoma Defiance of the USL Championship while enrolled in the Sounders FC Academy. [2] [3] He was traded in January 2022 to Charlotte FC in exchange for $50,000 of general allocation money. [1] [4] On June 17, 2022, Hegardt made a short-term stay on loan with USL League One side Charlotte Independence. [5] He was released by Charlotte following their 2023 season. [6]

After spending the 2024 USL Championship season with Orange County SC on loan from Stabæk, Hegardt signed a permanent deal with Orange County on January 17, 2025. [7]

Personal life

In December 2009, Hegardt was hospitalized after a youth soccer match and diagnosed with cancer following the discovery of a ruptured tumor in his liver. He went through six rounds of chemotherapy and received a liver transplant before returning in 2011 to the San Diego Surf, where Hegardt won a national championship. [1] [8] During his hospitalization, Hegardt received a visit and jersey from then-Chivas USA player Sacha Kljestan. The two were reunited 12 years later in Charlotte FC's home debut against the LA Galaxy, where Hegardt played against Kljestan's Galaxy. [9]

Career Statistics

Club

As of 18 August 2024 [10]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Tacoma Defiance 2019 USL Championship 6060
2020 111111
Total171171
Charlotte FC 2022 MLS 3030
2023 40300070
Total703000100
Charlotte Independence (loan) 2022 USL League One 143143
Crown Legacy (loan) 2023 MLS Next Pro 7171
Loudoun United (loan) 2023 USL Championship6161
Stabæk 2024 1. divisjon 9010100
Orange County (loan) 2024 USL Championship4040
Career Total6464000686

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    References

    1. 1 2 3 Andrejev, Alex (January 13, 2022). "Charlotte FC signs college soccer star from Georgetown ahead of MLS SuperDraft". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
    2. "Chris Hegardt Profile – Tacoma Defiance". uslchampionship.com. USL Championship. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
    3. "Christopher Hegardt Bio". ussoccerda.com. U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
    4. "Charlotte FC Signs Georgetown Midfielder Chris Hegardt In Exchange For $50,000 in General Allocation Money from Seattle Sounders FC" (Press release). Charlotte Football Club. January 6, 2022.
    5. "Charlotte Independence Acquire Chris Hegardt on Short-Term Loan from Charlotte FC".
    6. Club, Charlotte Football. "Charlotte FC Announces End of Season Roster Decisions | Charlotte FC". Charlotte Football Club.
    7. "ORANGE COUNTY SC SIGN MIDFIELDER CHRIS HEGARDT". OrangeCountySoccer.com. Orange County SC . Retrieved January 17, 2025.
    8. Mondello, Joseph (September 13, 2019). "Nothing Can Stop Him: Chris Hegardt battled through cancer to make it back on the pitch". SoundersFC.com. Seattle Sounders FC.
    9. Reineking, Jim (March 5, 2022). "Sacha Kljestan of LA Galaxy shares story of visiting Charlotte FC's Chris Hegardt in hospital 12 years ago". USA Today . Retrieved March 5, 2022.
    10. Chris Hegardt at Soccerway. Retrieved 18 August 2024.