No team is a better example of that than the club Gagne signed a one-year deal with: the Kansas City Current. Partially owned by Patrick and Brittany Mahomes, the Current built the world’s first women’s soccer-specific stadium, to the tune of $117 million. The 48 hours after North Carolina’s championship were “a stressful whirlwind” of conversations for the College Cup Defensive MVP. She also considered playing professionally overseas. “The support and the opportunity here is just something I couldn’t pass up,” Gagne said. Dahlien, Gagne and Harper all played their club soccer at Minnesota Thunder Academy in Richfield. The youth club is home to Minnesota’s only Elite Clubs National League program, the highest competition of club soccer for girls in the United States. Other recent club alum include Izzy Engle, an Edina grad who scored 19 goals for Notre Dame last fall (the most for an NCAA freshman since 2014) and Breck’s Kaitlyn MacBean, who netted 16 goals as a senior at Penn State. Former Lakeville North goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn led the NCAA in save percentage (92.5%) at Montana. Another Gopher, midfielder Sophia Boman, was also invited to preseason training camp with the Current. MTA’s girls director Danny Storlien said 189 college coaches came to watch the Thunder play at a recent Florida tournament. States like California, Texas, Colorado and Georgia traditionally field powerhouse clubs, with better weather for year-round outdoor play.