|
👁 Image Birkel with Stanford in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Caroline Nicole Birkel[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (2006-08-25) August 25, 2006 (age 19)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Stanford Cardinal | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025– | Stanford Cardinal | 25 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2022 | United States U-16 | ||
| 2025 | United States U-19 | ||
| 2025– | United States U-20 | ||
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Caroline Nicole Birkel (born August 25, 2006) is an American college soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for the Stanford Cardinal.
Early life
[edit]Birkel was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.[2]
College career
[edit]Birkel enrolled early and began training with the Stanford Cardinal in the spring of 2025.[3] In the fall, she became the first true freshman to start in goal for the Cardinal since Jane Campbell in 2013.[3] She helped lead the Cardinal to both the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular-season and tournament titles, stopping a penalty in the final shootout against Notre Dame.[4] In the NCAA tournament, she helped Stanford reach the final, losing to Florida State.[5] After her freshman season, she was named first-team All-ACC and the ACC Goalkeeper of the Year.[4] She was also presented the Chalupny Award given to the most outstanding female soccer player from the St. Louis area.[6]
International career
[edit]Birkel was one of two high school players (alongside Addison Halpern) named to the United States under-20 roster for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, serving as the third-stringer as the team won bronze.[7]
Honors and awards
[edit]Stanford Cardinal
United States U-20
- FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup bronze medal: 2024
Individual
- ACC Goalkeeper of the Year: 2025
- First-team All-ACC: 2025
- Chalupny Award: 2026
References
[edit]- ^ a b "FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Colombia 2024 Squad Lists" (PDF). FIFA. p. 23. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ "Caroline Birkel". Stanford Cardinal. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ a b "No. 3 Stanford Opens ACC Play Thursday". Stanford Cardinal. September 10, 2025. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ a b Boeger, Paige (November 14, 2025). "Freshman Standout Birkel Helps Stanford Claim ACC Title". Voice in Sport. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ "'Incredible season': FSU edges Stanford, Alton's Lily Freer, for national championship". The Telegraph. December 10, 2025. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ "The Keough Family / Lori Chalupny Awards". St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 16, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ "U.S. U-20 WYNT Ready to Face Familiar Foe Mexico in Round of 16 at 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup". United States Soccer Federation. September 9, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
External links
[edit]
- Living people
- 2006 births
- 21st-century American sportswomen
- Soccer players from St. Louis
- American women's soccer players
- Women's association football goalkeepers
- United States women's youth international soccer players
- United States women's under-20 international soccer players
- Stanford Cardinal women's soccer players