BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
CHATTANOOGA — Former Martin County soccer star Kaitlyn Gauze has made history. The feisty footballer became the first women’s soccer player from Inez to play semi-professionally.
Gauze took her talents to Chattanooga, Tennessee, last month after the head coach contacted her within a few hours of her sending out her highlight video.
The Chattanooga Football Club welcomed her with open arms. Gauze is the starting defensive midfielder for the professional Division III soccer team.
Her dad and former coach, Steven Gauze, asked her “if this was the path for her.”
Kaitlyn seized the opportunity.
“This could be my only chance to play pro someday, so I’m going to take it,” she said.
The team will travel to places such as Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, New England, etc.
Just recently, her squad went to Birmingham and came away with a 4-1 win.
Kaitlyn provided a message for the Chattanooga fans: “I come from a small town that values the success of their community. It means so much to me that I will get to be a part of CFC and its community and experience this on a larger scale. I am super excited to be a part of such a close-knit community that wholeheartedly supports the team. I cannot wait to join this team and push myself farther to get better on and off the field.”
The Chattanooga FC plays in the South Region of the Women’s Premiere Soccer League. The team is a member of the Major League Soccer Next Pro which is a feeder for Major League Soccer.
The Martin County Class of 2022 graduate has played two seasons for the University of Charleston. Her team won the 2023 Mountain East Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament Championship, the first in program history.
The Exercise Science major has racked up 1,348 minutes already in her collegiate career.
Gauze ranked in the top 30 in assists in the entire state of Kentucky in two of her high school seasons. She was tied for 22nd in her senior year averaging 1.2 per game with a total of 20 assists.
Gauze will continue her semi-pro play over the summer and return for her junior season in Charleston in the fall.
