Heading into her final season of high school soccer, Addison Halpern had a decision to make.

Named as an alternate to the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team World Cup squad last fall, an injury opened up a roster spot for the competition. It would come at a cost closer to home: missing a chunk of the high school season at Rutgers Prep in New Jersey.

Armed with her teammates’ blessing, Halpern played at the World Cup. She hit the ground running on return, fashioning a dominant season that was rewarded last week with the Gatorade National Player of the Year honor. 

“I was in touch with my girls while I was away so it was an easy transition back in,” Halpern said after receiving the award. “I missed playing with them so much and they were so happy when I was back and I was happy to be surrounded by them and in that environment again. It’s a lot of fun, and they are great people to be around as well as soccer players.”

That translated into big numbers once Halpern returned. She was an unstoppable offensive force after missing the first six games of the season, scoring 44 goals and 14 assists. Her team finished the season with a record of 23-0, securing both the Prep B and Non-Public B state titles in the fall.

When presented with the chance to compete at an international tournament, her Rutgers Prep squad made it clear she should take the opportunity.

“I was with my team when I found out that I was no longer an alternate and officially on the roster,” she said. “Their support alone was enough to be able to accept that and know they would be successful without me.”

Halpern fashioned a dominant career at the prep school powerhouse. Part of three state championships, Halpern finished her four seasons at Rutgers as the second-leading goal scorer in high school history for the state. Her eye-popping numbers of 180 goals and 68 assists helped charge Rutgers Prep with three titles in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

When pressed about her favorite campaign, Halpern leaned toward the first title-winning season in 2022, where she scored 51 times as a sophomore.

“We had lost the previous year to DePaul [in the Non-Public B title game] so we had our eyes set on our revenge tour.” she said. “That was really fun, we had a great team and it was incredible to get back in the same position and win it that time.”

The forward paid tribute to her teammates, who played an instrumental role in helping her secure both the National Player of the Year nod and the on-field success.

“We all have a really great relationship off the field which translates to on the field,” she said. “It’s easy when you’re just having fun and you have people who can put the ball right on your foot. They’re incredible people, incredible players and that translates to our chemistry on the field. I definitely would not be here without them.

Now, Halpern will need to create new relationships when she officially takes the field at the University of Virginia in the fall. One of the top recruits from the class of 2025, she graduated in December, enrolled early at the ACC program and played with them this spring.

The taste of a new level is something she is eager to continue later this year.

“It was definitely a transition but I had a lot of people there that took care of me and made sure I was good, checking up on me,” she said. “My coaches were amazing and the people that I was surrounded by in the classroom were supportive of me, the teachers were great and on the field was great. The players are awesome, they are talented, I’ve just been able to learn a lot, take in a lot of things and I am very excited for this fall.”

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