Behm, a Williamsburg native, returns to play in Virginia with an SEC title under her belt.
RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Ivy SC is pleased to announce that midfielder Brianna Behm will join the team for its inaugural season pending league and federation approval. The Williamsburg native is a senior at the University of South Carolina where she plays midfielder for the Gamecocks.
“Playing for Richmond Ivy this season for me means an opportunity to grow as a player. It means an opportunity to step on the field and do what I love as a part of a family and community with the same passion for the sport,” Behm said. “I’m most excited about playing in front of the Richmond community and showing everyone what we love to do: play soccer. Obviously, the main goal is a championship anytime you step on the field but also to inspire the younger generation of female soccer players in Richmond that they can do anything.”
As a freshman, Behm came in and helped her class to be one of the highest-scoring freshman classes in South Carolina history. That year, she scored her first collegiate goal against Elon to help the Gamecocks win 3-0. She also registered a shot in four of the five final matches of the season including the NCAA Tournament matchup against Montana. She notched 56 minutes across two NCAA Tournament matches as a freshman.
“Bri has worked hard to become a better player every year during her time at South Carolina and has made a great impact on the program,” South Carolina Head Coach Shelley Smith said. “We are excited that she has chosen to return for her fifth year of eligibility and is taking advantage of another opportunity this summer to continue improving her game. It is amazing to see the increase of opportunities out there for women to play during and after college and I’m happy Bri will have that chance close to home with the new USL team in Richmond.”
In her sophomore year, Behm earned her first career start at the beginning of the season and appeared in 10 games. The following year, she turned up the heat and appeared in all 19 games, scoring once — a game-winner over Alabama in the SEC Championship — and logging just nearly 900 minutes.
As a senior, Behm truly brought the thunder starting in all but one game. She found the back of the net against Georgia in late October to help the Gamecocks to a 4-0 win over the Bulldogs. She also logged her first three collegiate assists to claim five points on the season. In Fall 2023, with Behm at midfield, the Gamecocks made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, beating James Madison 2-0 before falling to tournament finalists, No. 3 Stanford.
“We are so happy to welcome Brianna to our club,” Sporting Director Madeline McCracken said. “She is a fierce competitor whose winning ambitions and technical ability represent what we want out of all of our players. Brianna will be a key addition to our new team as well as our midfield and we are delighted to have a player of her quality and passion for the game joining the Richmond Ivy.”
Before college, Behm played Richmond United throughout her high school career and reached the Virginia semifinals in her senior year. She was named ECNL player to watch in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and helped her club squad to reach the ECNL U18/U19 Champions League in Seattle in 2018.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bri to the Ivy roster,” Head Coach Kimmy Cummings said. “I’ve seen Bri play for many years now and I’m excited about the experience she brings to the squad. Her work rate in the middle of the pitch will help enable our overall style of play while balancing out our other central players on the roster.”
Behm also earned All-American honors, was named Regional, Daily Press, and Peninsula Player of the Year. For Jamestown High School, she was a two-time first-team All-Conference member and won a regional championship in 2019 with her high school. She also was first-team All-State and first-team All-Region her sophomore and junior years.
