Career Highlights

  • ACC champion (2025)
  • ACC Tournament champion (2025)
  • College Cup appearance (2025)
  • United Soccer Coaches All-Region third team (2025)
  • ACC Goalkeeper of the Year (2025)
  • TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI first team (2025)
  • All-ACC first team (2025)
  • ACC All-Freshman team (2025)
  • St. Louis Chalupny Award (2025)

As a Freshman (2025) • ACC Champions, ACC Tournament Champions

  • United Soccer Coaches All-Region third team
  • ACC Goalkeeper of the Year
  • TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI first team
  • All-ACC first team
  • ACC All-Freshman team
  • St. Louis Chalupny Award
  • TopDrawerSoccer Midseason Top 100 Freshmen - No. 96
  • Started all 25 matches, logging 1953:35 minutes, and allowed just 20 goals while making 47 saves
  • Averaged .92 goals against and a .701 save percentage
  • Managed a 21-2-2 record while recording three solo shutouts and combining on six more clean sheets
  • Finished the season ranked sixth in the ACC in goals against average and second in minutes played
  • Posted clean sheets vs. Boston College (Sept. 25), BYU (Nov. 24) and vs. No. 11 Duke (Dec. 5) in the NCAA semifinal
  • Season-best six saves in back-to-back matches vs. No. 7 Virginia (Nov. 6) and No. 2 Notre Dame (Nov. 9)
  • Made four saves in a 2-1 victory at No. 7 Florida State (Oct. 16)
  • Saved a penalty in Stanford's 5-4 penalty kick shootout victory vs. No. 2 Notre Dame to win the ACC Tournament title (Nov. 9)
  • The first Stanford true freshman to start in goal since Jane Campbell started 18 matches in 2013
National Team Experience
  • Helped the United States to a bronze medal at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (2024)
  • Represented the U.S. at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship in Costa Rica (2025)
  • Women’s College Talent ID Camp (2025)
  • U.S. U-16, U-17, U-19 and U-20 Youth National Team domestic and international training camps participant
Prior to Stanford
  • 2025 graduate of Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School in St. Louis, Mo.
  • Competed for Saint Louis Scott Gallagher (2012-25)
  • Two-time ECNL National Champion (2022-23)
  • Led her club to three ECNL Midwest Conference titles (2021-23)
  • Compiled a 55-0-4 club record from 2021-23
  • Two-time ECNL All-American (2022-23)
  • ECNL Midwest All-Conference first team (2023)
  • Also competed in field hockey in high school where she led her team to four appearances in the state tournament (2021-24)
Personal
  • Born in St. Louis, Mo.
  • Daughter of Courtney and Mike Birkel
  • Has two brothers, Alexander and Maxwell
Caroline Birkel
2025
Goalkeeper
5-11 / -