Retired #17 Chalupny among former Red Stars up for the honors

CHICAGO — The nominees up for election for the National Soccer Hall of Fame was announced Monday, with five former Chicago Red Stars players up for election.

Lori Chalupny, Karina LeBlanc, Amy LePeibet, Kate Sobrero Markgraf and Shannon Boxx are among the nominees for the Class of 2019.

An Olympic gold medalist and 2015 FIFA World Cup Champion, Chalupny joined the Red Stars in 2012 for that year’s Women’s Pro Soccer League – Elite season. Chalupny would play for Chicago until her retirement in 2015. In 58 appearances she scored 11 goals and added an additional 10 goals representing the U.S. WNT. Her number, #17, remains the only retired jersey in Red Stars history.

LeBlanc was the starting goalkeeper for Chicago her final two professional seasons in 2014 and 2015. LeBlanc represented the Canadian National Team in five World Cups and the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games, earning a bronze medal in the latter tournament. The year prior she was the hero for Canada in the 2011 Pan American Games, stopping two penalties in the final shootout to lead her country to victory.

LePeilbet joined Chicago in the maiden year of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in 2013 after winning Olympic Gold with the U.S. WNT a year earlier. The two years prior to that she would win the Algarve Cup as well. Domestically, LePeilbet would win Defender of the Year in the inaugural season of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) and would win the NWSL Championship in 2014 and 2015.

Markgraf began playing for the U.S. WNT in 1998, beginning her club career in 2001 in the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA). She would make over 200 appearances for her country. She was a member of the famous team that won the 1999 World Cup and was the co-captain of the 2008 team that won Olympic gold. Markgraf would sign with the Red Stars in 2009 for the first WPS season, but due to the birth of her second child did not play until the 2010 season. In her final professional club soccer campaign, Markgraf made the WPS All-Star team representing the Red Stars.

In a professional career that began back in 1999, Boxx would play for clubs in the U.S. and Germany. She played for nine different clubs in the U.S. throughout her career, with the Red Stars being her final destination. Boxx took place in three Olympic Games and four World Cups with the U.S. WNT. She won gold in three consecutive Olympic Games (2004, 2008, and 2012) and would finish her career helping the U.S. win the 2015 FIFA World Cup.

The other nominees up for elections include Lauren Cheney Holiday, Aly Wagner and Abby Wambach. To see the full list of nominees, click here.