Bella Bixby

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Bella Bixby
Personal information
Full name Annabella Madeleine Bixby
Birth name Annabella Madeleine Geist
Date of birth (1995-11-20) November 20, 1995 (age 26)
Place of birth Milwaukie, Oregon, U.S.
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Portland Thorns
Number 31
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2017 Oregon State Beavers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018 Portland Thorns 0 (0)
2018–2019 1. FFC Frankfurt 0 (0)
2019– Portland Thorns 17 (0)
National team
2017–2018 United States U23
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of June 27, 2020

Annabella Madeleine Bixby (née Geist; born November 20, 1995) is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Portland Thorns FC.[1]

Career[]

Across four years at Oregon State University, Bixby played 72 games, getting 18 clean sheets and setting a university record for most career saves.[2][3]

She was selected in the 3rd round of the 2018 NWSL College Draft by Portland Thorns FC. She was injured for most of her first year with Portland and was forced to miss most of the year after suffering another injury while on loan in Germany.[4] She then spent part of 2019 off on loan in Israel.[5][6]

She made her professional debut for the Thorns on June 27, 2020 in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, a 2-1 loss to the North Carolina Courage.[1][7] After posting two clean sheets in her first four games for the club, she suffered an ACL injury that forced her to miss the rest of the Challenge Cup.[8]

In July 2021, she set the NWSL record for most shutout minutes to start an NWSL regular-season career, starting the 2021 NWSL season with 269 consecutive shutout minutes across her first three games, becoming the third goalkeeper in the league's history to post back-to-back clean sheets in their regular season debuts.[9] She won the Save of the Week Award for the first week of August 2021.[10]

Activism in football[]

Bixby has been outspoken on issues within the sport.[11][12] In early July 2021, she called for the league to drop the "W" from its name, stating that it was both non-inclusive and that it promoted the misconception that the women's side of the game was abnormal.[13] In late-July 2021, she called on Racing Louisville FC to end the light show at Lynn Family Stadium played after Louisville scored, stating that "players reported feeling physically ill. I am someone who has sensory integration issues & had to put a towel over my eyes and pray to god I didn't have a meltdown seconds before the 2nd half."[14]

She has taken part in the NWSLPA's #NoMoreSideHustles campaign for better compensation for women's football players, revealing that she had to have a second job for Uber for a year while playing in the NWSL.[15]

Personal life[]

She attended Rex Putnam High School. In December 2018, she married her husband, Elliot Bixby. Bixby is on the autism spectrum.[16]

Honors and awards[]

Portland Thorns FC

References[]

  1. ^ a b Bella Bixby at Soccerway
  2. ^ "How former OSU goalkeeper Bella Bixby stayed ready for her Portland Thorns debut". NBC Sports Northwest. July 10, 2020.
  3. ^ FC, Portland Thorns. "Bella Bixby | Portland Timbers". Portland Thorns FC.
  4. ^ Cohen, Matt (July 16, 2020). "After years of injuries and growth, Portland Thorns goalkeeper Bella Bixby has emerged as a breakout star of the NWSL Challenge Cup". The Oregonian.
  5. ^ FM, Player. "Thorns FC's Bella Bixby on her loan time in Israel, new puppy and more | Breaking Lines | Feb. 27, 2020" – via player.fm.
  6. ^ "Roster Check | Thorns FC Goalkeepers | Portland Timbers".
  7. ^ jarrid.denney@lee.net, JARRID DENNEY. "Bella Bixby hopes to use her platform for positive change as she steps up for Portland Thorns". Corvallis Gazette Times.
  8. ^ Odom, Joel (July 18, 2020). "Portland Thorns goalkeeper Bella Bixby says she has ACL injury". The Oregonian.
  9. ^ "Thorns' Bella Bixby breaks record for shutout minutes begin NWSL career". Just Women's Sports. July 19, 2021.
  10. ^ @NWSL (August 4, 2021). "Look Ma, One Hand