Kayla Saager is an American former professional soccer player and college standout who transitioned into coaching after building an impressive career that took her from New York high school soccer to NCAA Division I programs and eventually professional competition in Europe.
Originally from East Islip, New York, Saager emerged as a prolific attacking player before competing for NC State, West Virginia and Binghamton University.
Her most successful college seasons came at Binghamton, where she established herself as one of the leading offensive players in the America East Conference.
After completing college, Saager took her career overseas and played professionally for FC Slovácko Ženy in the Czech Republic in 2019.
She later moved into coaching, joining the women’s soccer program at Troy University and continuing her involvement in the sport from the sidelines.
Kayla Saager Biography
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kayla Saager |
| Hometown | East Islip, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Sport | Soccer |
| Playing Position | Forward |
| Height | 5 feet 7 inches |
| High School | East Islip High School |
| College Programs | NC State, West Virginia, Binghamton |
| College Degree | Sociology, Binghamton University |
| Graduation Year | 2018 |
| Professional Club | FC Slovácko Ženy |
| Professional Location | Czech Republic |
| Known For | College soccer, professional soccer and coaching |
| Major College Honor | 2017 America East Striker of the Year |
| Coaching Career | Troy University women’s soccer |
Early Life and Soccer Career in New York
Saager’s soccer development began long before she reached the college level.
Growing up in East Islip, New York, she attended East Islip High School and became one of the school’s standout soccer players.
Her senior season demonstrated the scoring ability that would eventually follow her into Division I soccer.
Saager scored 27 goals and recorded 12 assists as a senior.
She earned multiple honors during her high school career, including all-league, all-conference and all-county recognition.
She was also selected as an all-state player.
East Islip enjoyed considerable success during her time with the program, compiling a 34-7-2 record across her three-year high school career.
Saager also gained experience outside school competition.
She participated in New York East’s Olympic Development Program for six years and spent four years with the US Youth Soccer Region I ODP program.
Her youth soccer experience included playing for Albertson SC, ISA and East Islip Soccer Club.
That development eventually opened the door to NCAA Division I soccer.
Kayla Saager Begins College Career at NC State
Saager entered the college game with NC State in 2014.
She made an immediate offensive contribution.
As a freshman, Saager appeared in 13 matches and started 12 of them.
She led NC State with five goals and 11 points during the season, an impressive beginning for a first-year player competing at the Division I level.
Her performances demonstrated the scoring instincts that had made her such a productive player in high school.
After NC State, her college journey also included time at West Virginia before she ultimately found her strongest statistical success at Binghamton University.
Breakthrough at Binghamton University
Saager’s move to Binghamton became an important turning point in her playing career.
Operating as a forward, she developed into one of the most productive attacking players in the America East Conference.
Her 2017 season was particularly successful.
Saager scored 11 goals and recorded seven assists, performances that earned her the America East Striker of the Year award.
Her scoring helped establish her as a major offensive threat for Binghamton.
She returned for another productive campaign in 2018.
During her senior season, Saager started all 18 games at center forward and again scored 11 goals.
She added five assists for a team-leading 27 points and scored three game-winning goals.
Saager recorded at least one point in 13 games during the season.
Her performances earned her All-Atlantic Region third-team recognition and a place on the America East All-Conference second team.
Saager Leaves Her Mark in Binghamton Record Books
Although Saager spent only two seasons playing for Binghamton, her production placed her among the most efficient attacking players in the program’s history.
She completed her Bearcats career ranked second all-time in goals per game at 0.59.
She also ranked second in points per game at 1.51.
During her two seasons with the program, no America East player accumulated more goals or points.
Those statistics illustrate why her Binghamton years remain such a significant part of her soccer biography.
Saager arrived after already playing for major Division I programs but used her opportunity with the Bearcats to produce some of the strongest individual performances of her career.
From College Soccer to Professional Football in Europe
Graduating from Binghamton did not bring Saager’s playing career to an immediate end.
She earned her degree in Sociology from Binghamton University in 2018.
The following year, she moved overseas to continue playing professionally.
Saager joined FC Slovácko Ženy in the Czech Republic in 2019.
Playing professionally in Europe represented another major step in a journey that had already taken her through several levels of American soccer.
It also provided professional experience that would later become valuable when she transitioned into coaching.
Rather than approaching players solely from a theoretical perspective, Saager could draw from experience competing at high school, elite youth, NCAA Division I and professional levels.
Kayla Saager Moves Into Coaching
After her professional playing experience, Saager began building the next chapter of her career from the sidelines.
She joined Troy University’s women’s soccer program in 2020 as a part-time assistant coach.
Her role eventually expanded.
In July 2022, Troy announced that Saager had been promoted to assistant coach.
The promotion reflected her growing involvement with the program and the experience she brought from her playing career.
As a coach, Saager has been able to use the knowledge developed across multiple levels of soccer to help collegiate athletes navigate their own development.
Her experience as a high-scoring forward also gives her firsthand understanding of attacking movement, finishing and the demands placed on offensive players.
From Striker to Mentor
Saager’s career illustrates a transition familiar to many athletes who want to remain connected to their sport after their competitive playing years.
She began as a young player in New York.
She developed into an all-state high school athlete.
She then competed at three Division I universities before establishing herself as an award-winning striker at Binghamton.
Professional soccer took her to Europe.
Coaching eventually provided another opportunity to remain involved in the game.
Each stage contributed something different to her experience.
As a coach, she can draw not only from successful seasons but also from the challenges involved in transferring between programs, competing for playing time and adapting to professional soccer in another country.
Why Is Kayla Saager Known?
For college soccer followers, Saager is particularly remembered for her achievements at Binghamton.
Winning the 2017 America East Striker of the Year award remains one of the standout honors of her playing career.
Her back-to-back 11-goal seasons also demonstrated consistency as an attacking player.
Others may recognize her from her subsequent coaching career with Troy women’s soccer.
Her career therefore spans several distinct stages of the game, from player development and Division I competition to professional soccer and coaching.
Kayla Saager’s Soccer Legacy
Kayla Saager’s journey demonstrates how a playing career can evolve into a broader life within soccer.
Her path began in East Islip and eventually took her through NC State, West Virginia and Binghamton before extending internationally to professional soccer in the Czech Republic.
At Binghamton, she became an award-winning forward and left with her name positioned prominently in the program’s statistical records.
She then carried that playing experience into coaching.
For people searching for Kayla Saager, her documented story is ultimately one centered on soccer: a New York standout who became a Division I goalscorer, played professionally overseas and later moved into collegiate coaching.
Disclaimer
This biography is based on publicly documented athletic and professional information about Kayla Saager. No credible information reviewed for this article established reports of her death or a recent accident. Unverified claims concerning her personal life or wellbeing should not be presented as fact.