This Shipp Has Sailed

Seven months after winning MLS Cup, former Impact midfielder Harry Shipp has decided to hang up his cleats at the ridiculously early age of 28, and pursue an MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Shipp was an unused sub for Seattle Sounders in last year’s MLS Cup final victory over Toronto FC and played 30 times (23 starts) in all competitions for Montreal Impact. He scored twice, each in regular season games, with the goals coming 8 days apart in a 1-1 draw away to Real Salt Lake, followed by a Stade Saputo goal in a 1-3 defeat to NYCFC.

His time at Montreal is best described as steady and unspectacular and usually saw him deployed in a wide left, midfield role. In 15 of his 23 starts he was withdrawn from the action before the 90 mins ended.

Shipp attended the University of Notre Dame, playing four seasons there (23 goals, 24 assists in 83 matches). At the end of the 2013 season he was nominated for the prestigious MAC-Hermann Trophy (won by a certain Andrew Wenger in 2011) for the top USA college soccer player, but just fell short, the award going to University of Maryland striker, Patrick Mullins.

Shipp was however named Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Year the same year.

He was signed to a home-grown contract by the Chicago Fire with whom he scored his only professional hat-trick in a 5-4 victory away to New York Red Bulls in MLS 2014.

Shipp was traded to Montreal Impact for general allocation and targeted allocation money in 2016, staying for only one season before an exchange for allocation money took him to Seattle Sounders, where he spent the remainder of his career.

He is one of thirty-four American players to have represented Montreal Impact in MLS.

Ironically Shipp’s first game for his new club was at Stade Olimpique, in the Impact’s home opener in 2017, which ended level (2-2) after Montreal held a two-goal lead heading into the last 7 mins.

His last appearance against the Impact came in Montreal’s midweek, come from behind, 2-1 win over the Sounders just over a year ago, when Saphir Taider’s double won the game for the home side.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Talking to MLSSoccer.com yesterday, Shipp had this to say...

“This was not an easy decision because of all the amazing people at the Sounders, but I am excited to take this next step in my life. I am grateful that I was I was able to live out my childhood dreams. I grew up going to MLS games, was part of an MLS Academy in its infancy, and then got the opportunity to play for three clubs all over the continent. I am also grateful that my last full season ended in an MLS championship with Seattle.

“Thank you to all the fans who committed time and money to allow me to kick a ball for a living. Thank you to all my teammates over the years. You gave me more cultural learning experiences than I ever could have imagined from a job. Thank you to all the support staff who help make a team and club actually function. You all work way harder than any of us players. Thank you to my family, especially my wife, for being incredibly supportive on this journey. Thanks to the people of Seattle for making this feel like home for the past four years. I look forward to coming back to games as a fan!”