Natalie Simpson (née Neaton; born May 24, 1974) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward. She made six appearances for the United States women's national team between 1995 and 1998, and is a member of the William & Mary Athletic Hall of Fame.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Natalie Simpson[1] | ||
| Birth name | Natalie Neaton | ||
| Date of birth | (1974-05-24) May 24, 1974 (age 48)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Brighton, Michigan, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward[2] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 0000–1992 | Detroit Country Day Yellowjackets | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1995 | William & Mary Tribe | 81 | (81) |
| National team | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1998 | United States | 6 | (4) |
Neaton played for the Detroit Country Day Yellowjackets in high school, scoring 222 goals in four seasons, three shy of the national record.[3] She was also an All-State basketball player for the Yellowjackets. In college, she played for the William & Mary Tribe. In total, she scored 81 goals and recorded 28 assists during her career with the Tribe, making her the school's record goalscorer.[4] She also has the second most career points (goals and assists) for the school, with 190.[5] She was ISAA Player of the Year in 1995, NSCAA and Soccer America First-Team All-American in 1994, and NSCAA Second-Team All-American in 1992, 1993, and 1995.[6] She was included in the Soccer America All-Rookie Team in 1992,[7] and was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy in 1994.[1]
Neaton made her international debut for the United States on January 23, 1995 in a friendly match against Australia. In total, she made six appearances for the U.S. and scored four goals, earning her final cap on December 16, 1998 in a friendly match against Ukraine.[2]
Neaton later played club soccer in Japan for two years,[8] having received multiple offers from Japanese teams to join once she graduated from college.[9] She was inducted into the William & Mary Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.[1]
Neaton, a native of Brighton, Michigan, now resides in Denver. She has three sons with her husband Jim.
| United States[2] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1995 | 3 | 2 |
| 1998 | 3 | 2 |
| Total | 6 | 4 |
| No. | Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 30, 1995 | Davidson, North Carolina, United States | 4–0 | 6–0 | Friendly | |
| 2 | May 22, 1995 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
| 3 | May 10, 1998 | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly | |
| 4 | December 16, 1998 | Los Angeles, California, United States | 1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
William & Mary Tribe women's soccer | |
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| National Players of the Year | |