Luke Merrill (born May 3, 2000) is an American soccer player who plays for USL Championship club Hartford Athletic.

Luke Merrill
Personal information
Full name Luke Merrill
Date of birth (2000-05-03) May 3, 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Layton, Utah, United States
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s) Full-back, winger
Team information
Current team
Hartford Athletic
Number 19
Youth career
2009–2017 La Roca
2017–2018 Sparta United
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2019 SLCC Bruins 30 (0)
2021–2022 Westminster Griffins 31 (10)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2022 Salt City SC 10 (2)
2023– Hartford Athletic 26 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 18, 2023

Career

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Early career

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Merrill attended Davis High School, playing club soccer with La Roca from under-10 to under-17 and a further year with Sparta United SC.[1]

In 2018, Merrill attended Salt Lake Community College to play college soccer. In two seasons with the Bruins, Merrill made 30 appearances and added seven assists, earning All-Region Second Team honors in 2019.[2] In 2021, Merrill transferred to Westminster College where he went on to make 31 appearances and scored ten goals and tallied three assists.[3]

Whilst at college, Merrill also appeared in the USL League Two with Salt City SC in both 2021 and 2022, scoring two goals in ten games.[4][5][1]

Professional

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On 27 January 2023, Merrill signed his first professional contract, joining USL Championship side Hartford Athletic after impressing in a club combine.[6][7] He made his debut on March 11, 2023, appearing as a 59th-minute substitute during a 5–3 loss away to Monterey Bay FC.[8] On April 5, 2023, Merrill helped Hartford to the second round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after they defeated amateur side Lansdowne Yonkers 3–0.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Ogden City SC Adds Four More Players | Arkansas State Soccer". www.arkansassoccer.org.
  2. ^ "Luke Merrill - Men's Soccer". Salt Lake Community College Athletics.
  3. ^ "Luke Merrill - Men's Soccer". Westminster College Athletics.
  4. ^ "Ogden City SC | uslleaguetwo.com". www.uslleaguetwo.com.
  5. ^ "Salt City SC - 2022 Regular Season - Roster - #14 - Luke Merrill - F". www.uslleaguetwo.com.
  6. ^ "HARTFORD ATHLETIC ADD LUKE MERRILL TO DEFENSE".
  7. ^ "Former Griffin inks deal with Hartford Athletic". Westminster College Athletics.
  8. ^ "Match Center | USLChampionship.com". www.uslchampionship.com.
  9. ^ "2023 US Open Cup round 2: Elvis Amoh's hat trick sends Hartford Athletic past Lansdowne Yonkers". thecup.us.
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