Caroline Birkel

Caroline Birkel
Birkel with Stanford in 2025
Personal information
Full name Caroline Nicole Birkel[1]
Date of birth (2006-08-25) August 25, 2006[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

Caroline Nicole Birkel (born August 25, 2006) is an American college soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for the Stanford Cardinal.

Early life

Birkel was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.[2]

College career

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

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

Stanford Cardinal

United States U-20

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 "FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Colombia 2024 Squad Lists" (PDF). FIFA. p. 23. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Caroline Birkel". Stanford Cardinal. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "No. 3 Stanford Opens ACC Play Thursday". Stanford Cardinal. September 10, 2025. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Boeger, Paige (November 14, 2025). "Freshman Standout Birkel Helps Stanford Claim ACC Title". Voice in Sport. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  5. ↑ "'Incredible season': FSU edges Stanford, Alton's Lily Freer, for national championship". The Telegraph. December 10, 2025. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  6. ↑ "The Keough Family / Lori Chalupny Awards". St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 16, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  7. ↑ "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.
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