Linda Ullmark is an American professional soccer player who represents Houston Dash in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Born on 21 April 2006, she developed her game in Buffalo, New York, before helping the University of North Carolina win the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship. After two seasons at North Carolina, she signed a professional contract with Houston Dash in January 2026 and earned NWSL Rookie of the Month honors for July.
Beyond her club career, Ullmark has represented the United States at several youth international levels. Her progress from collegiate soccer to professional competition and the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup clearly shows her development as a midfielder.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Linda Helena Jade Ullmark |
| National team | United States U-20 |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Professional soccer player |
| Playing position | Midfielder |
| Height | 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) |
| College team | North Carolina Tar Heels |
| Professional club | Houston Dash |
How Linda Ullmark Developed Her Soccer Skills in Buffalo
Ullmark attended Nichols School in Buffalo, New York, where she became a successful high school soccer player. She played under coach Larry Desautels and received New York State Gatorade Girls Soccer Player of the Year honors in both 2022 and 2023.
Her achievements extended across her four years at Nichols School. She was named the school’s team MVP each year and served as captain during her senior season. She also participated in lacrosse, basketball, and squash.
Outside school competition, Ullmark played for Western New York Flash, earning ECNL First Team recognition twice. That experience shaped her development before she entered the collegiate game.
She also represented FC Buffalo in the USL W League. According to Houston Dash’s official announcement of her professional signing, she scored four goals in five appearances for the club.
Following her success in high school and club soccer, Ullmark joined the University of North Carolina women’s soccer team for the 2024 season.
Her Role in North Carolina’s 2024 NCAA Championship
Ullmark chose the University of North Carolina partly because of its coaching staff, players, and team culture. In her university athletics biography, she identified those aspects of the program as important influences on her decision.
Her first collegiate season came in 2024, and she immediately secured a regular place in the team.
She started all 27 matches that season, becoming the only freshman in North Carolina’s squad to start every game. Playing primarily in midfield, she contributed six goals and five assists.
North Carolina won the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship on 9 December 2024.
Her individual performances also received recognition. She was selected for the NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) All-Freshman Team. She additionally earned a place on TopDrawerSoccer’s Freshman Best XI First Team.
Winning the national championship in her first college season gave Ullmark an important team achievement early in her career. Her regular starts and attacking contributions also provided a foundation for the following year.
Another North Carolina athlete, Sam Forrest, helped the university win the 2025 NCAA women’s lacrosse championship before entering professional competition.
What Changed in Ullmark’s Second College Soccer Season
Ullmark returned to North Carolina for the 2025 season with an established role in the team.
She started all 21 matches she appeared in, playing 1,887 minutes. Her attacking statistics improved from the previous year, with seven goals and eight assists for 22 points.
The eight assists were the highest total recorded by a North Carolina player that season.
One notable performance came against Alabama, when Ullmark provided three assists in a single match. It showed her ability to create and score.
Her second season also brought wider individual recognition.
In December 2025, Ullmark received United Soccer Coaches Fourth Team All-America honors. She was additionally named to the All-Atlantic Region Second Team and All-ACC Third Team.
Her achievements also earned her CSC Academic All-District honors.
Across her two collegiate seasons, her contribution changed from six goals and five assists in 2024 to seven goals and eight assists in 2025. Although she played fewer matches, she recorded more direct goal contributions in her second season.
By the end of 2025, she had won an NCAA national championship, established herself as a regular collegiate starter, and earned national individual recognition. The next stage of her career would be professional soccer.
Why Houston Dash Signed Ullmark in January 2026
On 13 January 2026, Houston Dash announced Ullmark’s signing to a professional contract through the 2029 NWSL season.
The move came after two years at North Carolina, where her championship experience, individual honors, and attacking statistics had established a substantial collegiate record.
Houston’s announcement also acknowledged her previous involvement with United States youth national teams and her performances for FC Buffalo.
For Ullmark, joining the Dash meant leaving collegiate competition and entering the professional game.
In the club’s signing announcement, she expressed excitement about the opportunity and thanked her family, coaches and teammates for supporting her development. She also said she wanted to keep improving under Houston’s coaching staff.
Those comments presented the signing as both a major career opportunity and another stage in her development.
Ullmark made her professional debut on 14 March 2026 against San Diego Wave FC. She began her Houston career wearing squad number 30.
Although her college achievements had already brought significant recognition, the NWSL introduced a different competitive environment. Her first professional season soon included several important attacking performances.
The July Performances That Earned Her an NWSL Rookie Award
July 2026 became an important month in Ullmark’s first professional season.
On 12 July, she contributed a goal and an assist against Denver Summit FC. Both contributions came in a league match where she played a direct role in Houston’s attack.
Another decisive moment followed on 24 July against Bay FC.
Ullmark scored a stoppage-time winning goal, providing a late match-winning contribution for the Dash.
Across four NWSL appearances in July, she recorded two goals and two assists. Those performances earned her the league’s Rookie of the Month award, announced on 6 August 2026.
The NWSL presented the award and recognized her performances specifically in July rather than across the full season.
The recognition came during her first professional season, following decisive contributions against Denver Summit FC and Bay FC.
How Ullmark Represented the United States at Youth Level
Alongside her college and professional commitments, Ullmark developed an international career with the United States youth national teams.
She represented the country at the U-17, U-19, and U-20 levels, gaining international experience before joining Houston Dash.
During the 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship, she recorded two goals and two assists in four matches. Her performances earned her a place in the tournament’s Best XI.
Her involvement continued in 2026.
On 12 April, she scored as the United States U-20 team defeated Brazil 2–0 in a friendly. A more substantial individual scoring performance followed on 5 June against France U-23 in Algeciras, Spain.
Ullmark completed her hat-trick in the United States’ 5–0 win, scoring early in the match, adding another during first-half stoppage time, and netting her third soon after the break.
She scored all three goals against France’s U-23 side while representing the United States U-20 team.
Later that year, she was selected for the United States squad at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
U.S. Soccer’s squad profile, published on 3 September, recorded seven U-20 appearances and six goals for Ullmark at that point. Those figures preceded her tournament appearances.
Before the World Cup, she also discussed her ambitions in an interview with reporters on 21 August 2026. As reported by The IX Soccer, Ullmark expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent the United States and optimism about the team’s chances of competing for the championship.
She made her FIFA U-20 World Cup debut against Italy on 6 September 2026.
Six days later, she scored against New Zealand as the United States recorded a 9–0 group-stage victory.
The American team’s tournament ended on 16 September after a knockout match against Brazil. The game ended 1–1 before Brazil advanced with a 5–4 penalty shootout win.
Ullmark remained involved in the United States’ attacking play during that match. Concacaf’s official report credited her with eight completed dribbles and identified her among the American players with the most shots.
Although the United States did not progress beyond that round, the tournament added a FIFA youth World Cup appearance and a goal to Ullmark’s international experience.
Her first FIFA U-20 World Cup ended against Brazil on 16 September 2026, following appearances against Italy and New Zealand.