Margaret Melinda Williams-Purce (born September 18, 1995) is a forward in the National Women’s Soccer League for NJ/NY Gotham FC (NWSL). She previously played for the Boston Breakers and the Portland Thorns FC. She was a member of the Harvard University soccer team.
With the help of Harvard Forward, an alumni climate activist group, she was elected to a position on the Board of Overseers of Harvard University in 2020.
Purce was called up to the US women’s national team for the first time for the 2017 Tournament of Nations, although she did not play in any of the three games. In June 2018, she was called up again for a pair of friendlies against China PR, however, she injured her ankle in training camp and was ruled out of both games.
Purce was called up again in November 2019, during Vlatko Andonovski’s first training camp as the new USWNT head coach. Purce was invited into the camp to try out as a defender despite having spent her entire career as a forward. On November 10, 2019, Purce made her debut for the United States women’s national team in a friendly against Costa Rica. She started at right defense for the entire 90 minutes and had a cross deflected in for a Costa Rican own goal in the US team’s 6–0 win.
Achievements:
International
SheBelieves Cup: 2021
Individual
NWSL Team of the Month: June 2019, August 2019
NWSL Player of the Week: 2019 week 19, 2021 week 1
NWSL Goal of the Week: 2019 week 8
Position: Forward