Katherine Nicole Stengel (born February 29, 1992) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Women's Super League club Crystal Palace.
Stengel previously played for the Boston Breakers, Washington Spirit, Utah Royals, Houston Dash, and NJ/NY Gotham FC in the NWSL, Bayern Munich in Germany, both Western Sydney Wanderers and Newcastle Jets in the Australian W-League, and Liverpool in the Women's Super League.
In 2012, she was part of the United States Under-20 team that won the 2012 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship and the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
Early life
Stengel attended Viera High School in Viera, Florida.
She attended Wake Forest University from 2010 to 2013 where she played for the Demon Deacons women's soccer team. Stengel completed her college career as the highest-scoring player in Wake Forest history with 50 goals in 75 games, and she was a four-time All-ACC honoree and a three-time All-America, becoming in 2011 the first Wake Forest player to be named first-team All America.
Club career
Bayern Munich
In January 2014, Stengel skipped the 2014 NWSL College Draft and instead joined the Los Angeles Blues of the since-disbanded USL W-League.
In June 2014, Stengel joined Frauen-Bundesliga side Bayern Munich.
[Includes Template League Cup, Sample League Cup] She helped Bayern win the 2014–15 Frauen Bundesliga title, leading the team with nine goals.
Washington Spirit
In December 2015, Stengel signed with the Washington Spirit.
In her first season with the team, she played in 19 regular season matches, starting 10, totaling 928 minutes. Stengel contributed four goals during the season, tied for second most on the team.
[One appearance in Template Super Cup; two appearances, one goal in Template Centenary Cup] In 2016 Washington advanced to the NWSL Championship Game. The game was tied 2–2 after extra time and went to penalties. Stengal converted her penalty, but Washington lost to the Western New York Flash 3–2 on penalties.
Stengel appeared in five games for the Spirit in 2017 before she was released by the club on June 28, 2017.
Western Sydney Wanderers (loan)
Stengel was signed by Australian team Western Sydney Wanderers ahead of the 2016–17 W-League season. She was the leading goal-scorer for the Wanderers, netting six goals for the season.
Boston Breakers
The day after her release by the Washington Spirit, Stengel was selected off waivers by the
Boston Breakers. She appeared in 12 games for the Breakers in 2017.
Newcastle Jets (loan)
In October 2017, Stengel returned to Australia, joining Newcastle Jets for the 2017–18 W-League season.
Stengel scored 10 goals for the Jets and finished second in the Golden Boot race behind
Sam Kerr. Newcastle finished in third place and returned to the Finals series for the first time since the 2008–09 season.
Stengel returned to Newcastle for the 2018–19 W-League season.
Utah Royals
After the
Boston Breakers folded ahead of the 2018 season, Stengel was selected by the
Utah Royals in the Boston Breakers dispersal draft.
Stengel appeared in 23 games for the Royals. She scored a team leading six goals and scored the first brace in Royals history.
Stengel returned to the Royals for the 2019 season. She appeared in all 24 games and scored 2 goals.
Houston Dash
On January 8, 2020, the Utah Royals traded Stengel and a third-round pick in the 2020 NWSL College Draft to the
Houston Dash in exchange for their second-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 College Drafts.
She was waived by the club in May 2021.
Liverpool
On January 6, 2022, Liverpool signed Stengel, reuniting her with manager
Matt Beard. Stengel had played for Beard previously at the Boston Breakers. Stengel wears the number 24 kit for the Lady Reds and plays as a striker on the first-division team.
NJ/NY Gotham FC
On July 5, 2023, Liverpool loaned Stengel to American club NJ/NY Gotham FC until September 3, 2023.
The loan was later made permanent, as Gotham acquired Stengel on a permanent transfer on September 13, 2023.
Crystal Palace
After just over a year at Gotham FC, Stengel moved permanently to Crystal Palace on a two-year deal on September 13, 2024.
International career
With the United States Under-20 team Stengel won the 2012 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship. At the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, Stengel appeared in four games and scored three goals. The United States won the U-20 World Cup.
Stengel has also played for the United States U-23 women's national team. In March 2014, she received her first full national team call-up from head coach Tom Sermanni. Stengel has not yet been capped by the USWNT.
Personal life
Stengel's younger sister Jackie played for North Carolina State University and her father Scott played for the Air Force Academy.
She was previously in a relationship with former professional goalkeeper
Matt Lampson.
Career statistics
Club
| +Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
! rowspan="2" | Club
! rowspan="2" | Season
! colspan="3" | League
! colspan="2" | National cup
! colspan="2" | League cup
! colspan="2" | Continental
! colspan="2" | Playoffs
! colspan="2" | Other
! colspan="2" | Total |
|
| Bayern Munich | 2014–15 | Frauen-Bundesliga | 20 | 9 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 23 | 9 |
| 2015–16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 |
|
| Washington Spirit | 2016 | NWSL | 19 | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | 21 | 4 |
| 2017 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 |
|
| Western Sydney Wanderers (loan) | 2016–17 | A-League Women | 12 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 6 |
| Boston Breakers | 2017 | NWSL | 12 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 0 |
| Utah Royals | 2018 | 23 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 6 |
| 2019 | 24 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | 2 |
|
| Newcastle Jets (loan) | 2017–18 | W-League | 12 | 10 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | 13 | 10 |
| 2018–19 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 3 |
|
| Canberra United (loan) | 2019–20 | W-League | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 |
| Houston Dash | 2020 | NWSL | — | — | 4 | 0 | — | — | 4[Includes the NWSL Fall Series] | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 |
|
| Vålerenga | 2021 | Toppserien | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 14 | 5 |
| Liverpool | 2021–22 | Championship | 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 9 |
| 2022–23 | Women's Super League | 21 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 27 | 10 |
|
| NJ/NY Gotham FC (loan) | 2023 | NWSL | 10 | 3 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 16 | 5 |
| NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2024 | 15 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 |
|
| Crystal Palace | 2024–25 | Women's Super League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
|
Honors
FC Bayern Munich
-
Frauen-Bundesliga Champions: 2014–15
Houston Dash
Liverpool
-
FA Women's Championship: 2021–22
NJ/NY Gotham FC
United States U20
-
CONCACAF U20 Women's Championship: 2012
-
FIFA U20 Women's World Cup: 2012
External links
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Liverpool profile (archived)
