Women’s Soccer Signs Elkie Bowyer, Sophie Harlan
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky women’s soccer program announced the addition of two players to the Class of 2025 on Monday, with Elkie Bowyer and Sophie Harlan signing to play for the Wildcats this fall.
Bowyer comes to Lexington as an incoming freshman by way of Tottenham Hotspur FC in London, England. Bowyer featured on the Spurs’ WSL Academy side and also gained senior experience in the FA Women’s National League—the third tier of English women’s soccer—through loans to Watford and Ipswich Town.
Bowyer totaled three goals across the past two seasons in FA Women’s National League action and aided Ipswich Town in securing promotion to the Barclays Women’s Super League 2—the second tier of English women’s soccer.
Bowyer also comes to Kentucky with national team experience, earning a call-up to the England U-16 Youth National Team in 2022, scoring her first international goal at the 2022 UEFA U-16 Development Tournament.
Harlan joins Troy Fabiano’s squad after three seasons at Kansas State. The Kansas City, Mo. native served as a regular starter for the Wildcats across her three seasons in Manhattan, including compiling a career-high 1,238 minutes in 2024.
Harlan tallied a pair of goals and a trio of her assists while in the Sunflower State, including scoring her first collegiate goal in the sixth minute of her first career match in August 2022. Her three assists—two of which came last season—rank 12th in Kansas State history. After a goal against Oklahoma in October 2022, Harlan earned Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors.
A biomedical engineering major, Harlan was named to the 2022-23 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team and the 2023 Academic All-Big 12 First Team.
Harlan and Bowyer join nine incoming freshman and three transfers that have already signed for 2025. In 2024, the program put together its most successful season in a decade—earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 2014, advancing to the second round, while also putting together an undefeated home season, defeating No. 9 UCLA, and recording double-digit wins for the first time since 2014.
