Laney Matriano
|
Matriano with Notre Dame in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Delaney Matriano[1] | ||
| Date of birth | May 20, 2004[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | BK Häcken | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cleveland FC | |||
| 2018–2021 | Willoughby South Rebels | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2025 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 77 | (5) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2021 | Cleveland Ambassadors | – | (–) |
| 2026– | BK Häcken | 0 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Delaney Matriano (born May 20, 2004) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for Damallsvenskan club BK Häcken. She played college soccer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Early life
Matriano grew up in Willoughby, Ohio.[2] She attended South High School in Willoughby, where she played soccer, basketball, and softball.[2] She played club soccer for Cleveland FC, leading the team to the USYS under-15 national title in 2018.[3] She also played for the Cleveland Ambassadors in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL).[4] She committed to play college soccer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in her senior year.[4]
College career
Matriano was an immediate starter for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2022, one of two freshman starters alongside defender Leah Klenke. She helped the Irish place third in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and earn a one seed in the NCAA tournament, where she scored a goal on the way to the quarterfinals.[5][6] She helped the team finish ACC runners-up as a sophomore in 2023.[7] She led the team in minutes played in her junior year in 2024, serving as team captain and reaching the NCAA tournament quarterfinals.[2][8] She recorded career highs with 3 goals and 8 assists in her senior year in 2025. She helped the Irish finish second in the ACC standings and reach a program first ACC tournament final. Notre Dame earned the overall top seed in the NCAA tournament but were upset in the second round. She played in 77 games, starting 72, and scored 5 goals over four seasons in South Bend.[2][9]
Club career
Swedish champions BK Häcken announced on February 6, 2026, that they had signed Matriano to her first professional contract on a three-year deal.[10] She made her professional debut later that month as a first-half injury substitute for Helena Sampaio in a 4–1 second leg win over Breiðablik in the UEFA Women's Europa Cup quarterfinals.[11]
International career
Matriano was called into training camps with the United States under-14 team in 2018 and the under-18/under-19 and under-20 teams in 2023.[12]
Personal life
Matriano got engaged to professional football player Emeka Egbuka in January 2026.[13][14]
References
- ^ a b "Delaney Matriano". ESPN. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Laney Matriano". Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ "US Youth Soccer crowns champions in Frisco". United States Youth Soccer Association. July 30, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
- ^ a b Hare, Steve (September 13, 2021). "South's Laney Matriano has Irish eyes". ohiovarsity.com. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ "South Bend Regional Preview: Snow, Soccer & Santa Clara". Notre Dame Fighting Irish. November 16, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ Frommer, Justin (November 26, 2022). "Notre Dame women's soccer season ends in NCAA Elite Eight with loss to North Carolina". Notre Dame Insider. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ "2023 Women's Soccer Standings". Atlantic Coast Conference. February 6, 2026.
- ^ "Irish's Season Ends in NCAA Quarterfinal Round". Notre Dame Fighting Irish. November 29, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ "Stanford Claims 2025 Ally ACC Women's Soccer Championship". Notre Dame Fighting Irish. November 9, 2025. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
- ^ "BK Häcken värvar defensiv mittfältare från USA" (in Swedish). BK Häcken FF. February 6, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ Janlind, Fredrik (February 19, 2026). "Häcken klart för semifinal i Europa Cup – Sampaio ut på bår". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ^ "U14 GNT heads to camp in Chula Vista". United States Soccer Federation. May 25, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
"U18/19 WNT Camp Roster Named for California". United States Soccer Federation. January 10, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
"U20, U18/19 Rosters Announced for NC Camps". United States Soccer Federation. April 4, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2026 – via TopDrawerSoccer. - ^ "Buccaneers' Emeka Egbuka announces engagement on Instagram". ESPN. January 3, 2026. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
- ^ Sundberg, Sanna (March 9, 2026). "Laney Matriano om tron, BK Häcken – och kärleken till NFL-stjärnan". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved March 16, 2026.