Sara D'Appolonia

Last updated

Sara D'Appolonia
Personal information
Full name Sara Elizabeth D'Appolonia [1]
Date of birth (1999-11-05) November 5, 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Portland, Maine, U.S.
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s) Winger, midfielder
Team information
Current team
SC Sand
Number 2
Youth career
2013–2015 Global Premier Soccer
2016 New England FC
2016–2017 Seacoast United Mariners
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2018–2022 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens 77 (17)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2023 Peninsula Power FC 26 (17)
2023–2025 Melbourne Victory 47 (1)
2025– SC Sand 0 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of August 16, 2025

Sara Elizabeth D'Appolonia (born November 5, 1999) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger or midfielder for 2. Frauen-Bundesliga club SC Sand. She played college soccer for the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens before starting her professional career in Australia with Peninsula Power FC and Melbourne Victory FC.

Contents

Early life

D'Appolonia was born in Portland, Maine, but grew up in the nearby town of Yarmouth. [1] She started playing soccer at age 5 [2] and also dabbled in other sports, including track and field and basketball. [3] She attended Yarmouth High School, where she played for four years on the varsity basketball and soccer teams. [1] With the soccer team, D'Appolonia led the program to back-to-back state championships, scoring a total of 63 goals across her high school career. [4] She became the first Yarmouth player to be an All-American selection and was also recognized as the 2017 Maine Gatorade girls' soccer player of the year. [5] D'Appolonia also played club soccer for multiple teams, including Global Premier Soccer, New England FC, and WPSL PRO club Seacoast United Mariners. [1]

College career

D'Appolonia played five seasons with the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens. In her first year, she played in all 18 games and started in all but two. [1] She then proceeded to have a breakout sophomore year, helping lift the team to a CAA semifinal [2] and gaining individual recognition as a member of the 2019 All-CAA First Team and CAA All-Tournament team. [1] [6] She was the Fightin' Blue Hens' top goalscorer for two years in a row and was also named to the All-CAA Third Team in her senior year at Delaware. [1] [7] D'Appolonia left the program with 77 appearances and 17 goals recorded. [1]

Club career

Peninsula Power FC

On January 23, 2023, D'Appolonia signed her first professional contract with Australian team Peninsula Power FC in the National Premier Leagues. [8] Within one season, D'Appolonia was able to score 17 goals and make 26 appearances for the Redcliffe club. [9]

Melbourne Victory

After playing a season with Peninsula Power, D'Appolonia executed a deadline day move to A-League Women club Melbourne Victory in October 2023. [3] She made her club debut on October 14, playing in a 2–1 defeat to Brisbane Roar. The team placed fourth in the standings and advanced to the first round of the 2024 Finals Series, where they lost on penalties to the Central Coast Mariners. [10] On December 21, 2024, D'Appolonia scored her first goal with Melbourne, a long-distance strike in a 2–0 victory over Canberra United. [11] In her two seasons with the Victory, D'Appolonia appeared in 47 matches. [12]

SC Sand

On 14 August 2025, D'Appolonia signed with German second-divsion club SC Sand, [12] joining former Melbourne Victory teammate Alana Murphy. [13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Sara D'Appolonia - Women's Soccer". University of Delaware Athletics. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Player Profile: Sara D'Appolonia: A force on the field and in the classroom | The Review". November 4, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Sara D'Appolonia | From Maine to Melbourne". Melbourne Victory. March 19, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  4. Vortherms, Taylor (December 17, 2017). "Girls' soccer: Sara D'Appolonia, Yarmouth". Press Herald. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  5. "Yarmouth's D'Appolonia wins Gatorade soccer award". Press Herald. June 19, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  6. Potter, Bill. "CAA Women's Soccer Awards Revealed". caasports.com. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  7. "Four Blue Hens Recognized with Postseason CAA Honors". University of Delaware Athletics. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  8. "Sara D'Appolonia Signs With Peninsula Power FC". University of Delaware Athletics. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  9. Sara D'Appolonia at Soccerway
  10. Ingram, Matty (April 15, 2024). "'It feels pretty bloody good' - Dumont after Finals shoot-out win". Central Coast Mariners. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  11. sknaus (December 21, 2024). "Victory Women win in Canberra". Melbourne Victory. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  12. 1 2 "Sara D'Appolonia wechselt zum SC Sand". SC Sand (in German). August 14, 2025. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  13. "SC Sand verpflichtet Alana Murphy". SC Sand (in German). August 11, 2025. Retrieved August 16, 2025.