BOULDER — Colorado defender Hannah Sharts signed her first professional deal, agreeing to terms with KuPS of the Finish National League on Friday.
“Playing for this club in the ‘happiest country in the world’ is a dream come true,” Sharts said in a team release. “I am so grateful for this opportunity and I can’t wait for the moment when we get to show our skills to the public.”
Sharts played four years for the Buffs and was a captain in each of her final three seasons. She appeared in 78 matches for CU, starting in all but two of her appearances. Sharts recorded nine career goals and six assists, finishing her career with 24 points.
“We have a clear need for leadership in the central defense this season and hopefully she is that type of leader,” KuPS coach Ollipekka Ojala stated. “She has captained her previous teams and is a physical player. We expect her to quickly adapt to our way of playing, and on Wednesday she is supposed to be part of our training after a long journey.”
Her best season came in 2020, earning First Team All-Conference honors. She finished the season with a career-high nine points (4 G, 1 A). Sharts scored game-winning goals in consecutive matches against Weber State and Northern Colorado and helped the Buffs clinch a spot in the condensed NCAA Tournament field.
Defensively, Sharts was a part of a backline that helped account for 26 shutouts in her four seasons.
Sharts became the first CU soccer player to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in 2020 and was an All-District honoree in 2022. She was also a two-time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll honoree.
Sharts began her collegiate career playing six matches at UCLA in 2018.
KuPS is located in Kuopio, located in central Finland. The team has won back-to-back National League championships and took bronze in 2020.
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