Stanford's Caroline Birkel Hasn't Allowed a Goal This Season

Stanford’s goalkeeper situation changed quickly after Caroline Birkel returned from the U-20 World Cup.

The Cardinal had just suffered a 1-0 home loss to Louisville on Sept. 17, ending a 21-match unbeaten run at Cagan Stadium. Stanford was still without five players competing at the U-20 World Cup in Poland, including Birkel. Three days later, Birkel returned to the lineup against No. 3 Wake Forest — and Stanford has not conceded a goal since.

The same goes for the Cardinal before Birkel and company went to play overseas in September, with the Stanford goaltender saving every shot that has come her way this season. 

Birkel played all 90 minutes in Stanford’s 2-0 victory over Wake Forest, making one save as the Cardinal handed the Demon Deacons their first loss of the season. Wake Forest finished with just four shots, including one on target thanks to the Cardinal defense, buoyed by the return of Lizzie Boamah. 

Five days later, Birkel was back in goal against SMU. This time, Stanford settled for a 0-0 draw, but Birkel again kept a clean sheet while making four saves. The Cardinal controlled the match offensively, finishing with a 26-10 advantage in shots, but could not find the back of the net themselves.

That leaves Birkel with two consecutive shutouts since returning from Poland. More importantly, Stanford has gone from falling against Louisville and suffering back-to-back losses to putting together consecutive matches without allowing a goal.

The change also coincided with the return of other key players from the World Cup. Boamah and midfielder Y-Lan Nguyen returned alongside Birkel against Wake Forest, while Boamah immediately made an impact with a game-saving tackle in the 90th minute. She was subsequently named ACC Defensive Player of the Week.

Birkel's return has therefore been part of a larger defensive reset for Stanford. The Cardinal went 3-2-1 during the stretch in which its six World Cup players were away from the team. With Birkel back, Stanford has posted clean sheets in both of her appearances.

The sophomore goalkeeper is also building upon a strong first season at Stanford. Birkel was named ACC Goalkeeper of the Year as a freshman in 2025 after starting all 25 matches and helping Stanford win the ACC regular-season and tournament championships.

There is still work to do for the Cardinal. Stanford is 7-2-2 overall and 1-2-1 in ACC play after the draw at SMU, and its next match does not come until Oct. 8 at Syracuse.

For now, though, Birkel has provided something Stanford needed when she returned from Poland: stability in goal. Two matches, two clean sheets.