Sam Lofton

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Sam Lofton

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname = Samantha Jane Lofton

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|4|29}}

| birth_place = Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, United States

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=8}}

| position = Defender

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthclubs1 = Central Mountain High School

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs2 =

| youthyears2 =

| collegeyears1 = 2010–2014

| college1 = James Madison Dukes

| collegecaps1 = 80

| collegegoals1 = 6

| years1 = 2015

| clubs1 = Boston Breakers

| caps1 = 0

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2016

| clubs2 = Portland Thorns FC

| caps2 = 3

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2016

| clubs3 = Sunnanå SK

| caps3 = 6

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2017–2018

| clubs4 = Breiðablik UBK

| caps4 = 24

| goals4 = 0

| club-update = July 20, 2018

}}

Samantha Jane Lofton (born April 29, 1992) is an American former soccer defender who last played for Breiðablik UBK of Úrvalsdeild kvenna, and previously played for Boston Breakers and Portland Thorns FC of National Women's Soccer League.

College career

Coming from a standout career in high school where she earned several honors. Sam Lofton debuted for James Madison Dukes in 2010. Along her entire career at Dukes, Lofton recorded a total of 80 appearances with six goals. She also earned several important honors, such as being named to CAA All-Academic team in 2013 and 2014, to the First Team All-CAA honoree in 2014 and Second Team NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region honoree in 2014.{{cite web|title=Sam Lofton|url=http://jmusports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1326|website=James Madison Athletics|accessdate=May 3, 2017|archive-date=September 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905140722/http://jmusports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1326|url-status=live}}

Club career

After spending some time with Washington Spirit Reserves in the W-League and helping the team to reach the W-League Final for the first time, she was picked by Boston Breakers in the 20th overall of the 2015 NWSL College Draft and became the first James Madison University player to be drafted by a NWSL team.{{cite web|last1=Malloy|first1=Meghan|title=Sam Lofton prepares for pro career with Boston Breakers|url=http://www.breezejmu.org/sports/sam-lofton-prepares-for-pro-career-with-boston-breakers/article_c919b3cc-a17e-11e4-901c-3f34ab801ea2.html|website=The Breeze|date=January 21, 2015|accessdate=May 3, 2017|archive-date=May 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170501184956/http://www.breezejmu.org/sports/sam-lofton-prepares-for-pro-career-with-boston-breakers/article_c919b3cc-a17e-11e4-901c-3f34ab801ea2.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last1=Gordon|first1=Jennifer|title=Lofton brings Spirit background to Boston|url=http://equalizersoccer.com/2015/01/23/sam-lofton-brings-spirit-background-to-boston/|website=The Equalizer|date=January 23, 2015|accessdate=May 3, 2017|archive-date=January 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124061346/http://equalizersoccer.com/2015/01/23/sam-lofton-brings-spirit-background-to-boston/|url-status=live}}

In 2016 Lofton went to Portland Thorns FC.{{cite web|last1=Blue|first1=Molly|title=Portland Thorns update their preseason roster|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/portland-thorns/2016/03/portland_thorns_update_their_p.html|website=Oregon Live|date=March 30, 2016|accessdate=May 3, 2017|archive-date=August 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817124327/http://www.oregonlive.com/portland-thorns/2016/03/portland_thorns_update_their_p.html|url-status=live}} In the same year, she signed with Sunnanå SK of Damallsvenskan, the highest women's soccer division in Sweden.{{cite web|title=Former Duke Sam Lofton Signs With Sunnana SK|url=http://jmusports.com/news/2016/8/22/womens-soccer-former-duke-sam-lofton-signs-withs-nnan-sk.aspx|website=James Madison Athletics|date=August 22, 2016|accessdate=May 3, 2017|archive-date=November 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161102174919/http://jmusports.com/news/2016/8/22/womens-soccer-former-duke-sam-lofton-signs-withs-nnan-sk.aspx|url-status=live}}

In 2017, Lofton played for Breiðablik UBK of Úrvalsdeild kvenna in the first division of Iceland.

Post-soccer career

Lofton is now a meditation counselor.{{Cite web | url=https://soccerresilience.com/news/meditation-expert-sam-lofton-joins-soccer-resilience-team | title=Meditation Expert Sam Lofton Joins Soccer Resilience | access-date=April 27, 2022 | archive-date=September 23, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923190938/https://soccerresilience.com/news/meditation-expert-sam-lofton-joins-soccer-resilience-team | url-status=live }}