About Sam: Is the daughter of Jim Richards and Brandi MacFarlane...has one sister, Stephanie.
High School Highlights: She was a three time letterwinner from 2009-11 in soccer for Brad Silvey and the Rams. She was a First Team All-Hawkeye 10 selection as both a junior and senior and was voted by her teammates as the Defensive MVP as a junior. She was a member of conference championship teams as a sophomore and senior and state qualifying teams as a junior and senior. In addition to soccer, she lettered two years in volleyball. Aside from athletics, she earned distinguished honors and was listed on the high school''s Honor Roll.
College Highlights:
2014: Sam started all 18 matches for the Beavers and was one of the top defenders on the team and around the Iowa Conference. In addition, she tied for fourth on the team with three points, dishing out an assist in the team''s season-opening win over Bethany Lutheran on August 29 before chipping in with her only goal of the year in a 6-1 win at Martin Luther on September 7. Following the year, she was voted by the league coaches as a Second Team All-IIAC performer for the second straight year.
2013: Played in 18 matches, including 17 starts, and finished the year ranked second on the team in goals (5) and first in assists (6) - both new single-season career highs. She ranked sixth in the Iowa Conference in assists and was ninth in shots per game. She dished out her first assist of the year in the team''s second match (Illinois College) and scored her first goal of the year the next time out. Midway through the season against Dordt College, she posted a career-best three assists as BVU picked up the 5-2 win. Following the year, she was voted as a Second Team All-IIAC peformer.
2012: Started 18 of the team''s 18 games in her first season with the program and was fourth on the team with four goals scored, while also dishing out one assist. She scored the game''s only goal during the 1-0 win at Illinois College before scoring goals in consecutive outings against Alverno and Faith Baptist, respectively. Her lone assist on the year came in the team''s 2-0 victory over Simpson College to end the year.
2011: Played the year at Northwestern College (IA) where she earned a varsity letter.
Aside from playing soccer, she''s also been involved in volunteer activities such as washing windows at the Gingerbread pre-school.
