Harris Inks Professional Deal with FC Fleury 91
8/30/2023 2:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
KENT, Ohio – Former Kent State defender Tianna Harris has signed a contract to play professional soccer in France with FC Fleury 91, the club announced Wednesday.
FC Fleury 91 finished fourth in the D1 Arkema table, France's premier professional division, last season. Harris will look to bolster a defense that allowed just over a goal per game in league play last year.
After wrapping up her career in Kent last fall, Harris signed with Minnesota Aurora FC in the USL W League. Making an instant impact, she was named the USL W League Defender of the Year after leading Minnesota Aurora FC to a perfect 12-0 season and its second playoff berth in as many seasons. Harris tallied four goals during the regular season, including the game-winner against Rochester FC, and added two assists, all while anchoring a defense that only conceded four goals all year.Â
The Whitby, Ontario native led the Kent State defense for four seasons, highlighted by her 2021 Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year award. She played and started in 64 games for the Golden Flashes, tallying 11 goals and 2 assists in her career while shutting out opponents 20 times.Â
After being named to the Mac Herman Trophy Watch List and United Soccer Coaches (USC) Division I Players to Watch List before the 2022 season, Harris tied for the team lead in goals and led the Flashes defense to five shutouts in her final season in Kent. She earned All-MAC First Team and All-Ohio Second Team honors and was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week after recording the lone brace of her college career against Central Michigan on October 23.
Along with being named the 2021 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, Harris was selected to the USC All-Midwest First Team, All-Ohio First Team and All-MAC First Team after leading the Golden Flashes to the MAC championship game. She scored four goals on the season, including a pair of game winners, and piloted the back line to seven shutouts.
Harris played all 630 minutes of the shortened spring season in 2021, scoring one goal. She was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com's National Team of the Week after leading Kent State to back-to-back shutout wins over Buffalo and Akron to start the season. In 2019, Harris led the Flashes in minutes played after transferring from Mississippi State, scoring three goals on nine shots. She helped lead the team to five shoutouts in her first season in blue and gold.Â
FC Fleury 91 will open the 2023-24 campaign against En Avant Guingamp at the Stade du Roudourou on Sept. 16. Closer to home, the Golden Flashes are on the road this weekend and will face Arizona and Arizona State before returning home on Sunday, Sept. 10 for Senior Day against Duquesne.
FOLLOW THE FLASHES
For more news and information about the team throughout the 2023 season, be sure to follow the Flashes on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
