Following a stellar five years at the University of Iowa, defender Maggie Johnston is heading to Spokane Zephyr FC (pending league and federation approval).
Johnston, who was second team All-Big 10 this past season, scored a game-winning goal against Missouri State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, where the Hawkeyes would advance to the Sweet 16. A two-year captain, Johnston also was named the team’s MVP for both 2024 and 2025 seasons.
She was Iowa’s female winner of the Big 10 Medal of Honor, which since 1915 has celebrated athletic and academic achievement among Big 10 student-athletes. Each school selects a male and female graduating student-athlete across all sports who have demonstrated excellence on and off the field during their college careers.
Johnston, 23, hails from Corona, California, and is “a force on the pitch,” said interim Zephyr head coach Josh McAllister.
“We are excited to bring Maggie to the team. She’s shown versatility in her ability to play multiple positions at a very high level,” McAllister said. “Something that stood out when recruiting Maggie was her willingness to compete both with and without the ball.”
Johnston said it’s been her dream since childhood to play soccer professionally.
“I am very excited for this opportunity and to be able to do it with the Zephyr team. It was always a dream to play professional soccer, but to see it coming true is truly amazing,” she said. “My goal for my time at Spokane is to make younger me proud and for her to know that all those long trainings, early mornings, and hard work were well worth it. Overall, my goal is to be able to take my love for the sport and enjoy it for longer.”Johnston joins Zephyr FC as the club is preparing to launch its second campaign in the top tier Gainbridge Super League. Zephyr kicks off its season on Aug. 23 against Dallas Trinity FC in the Cotton Bowl. The club will host Fort Lauderdale United FC in the home opener on Sept. 6 at ONE Spokane Stadium. For tickets and more information, visit www.uslspokane.com/.
