Wake Forest’s all-time leading scorer and three-time All-American Katie Stengel has signed to play for legendary German soccer club Bayern Munich next season.
Stengel, who scored 50 goals and added 25 assists in 75 games at Wake Forest, will begin competition with the club in the fall in the Frauen-Bundesliga, the top level of German women’s soccer.
“I am excited to begin my professional career at such a famous club like Bayern,” Stengel said in a press release from the club. “I want to learn from the top players in Germany and cannot wait to meet the new team in Munich and tackle this challenge.”
This spring Stengel became the first current or former Wake Forest player to be called into training camp with the full U.S. Women’s National Team. She was a starter on the U.S. team that won the 2012 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, beating Germany in the final, and is currently training with the U.S. Under-23 National Team in California.
Bayern Munich’s women’s team finished in fourth place in the league last season. A number of Americans were on the squad, including former North Carolina standout Amber Brooks and former Florida star Erika Tymrak.
Stengel is the first Demon Deacon to pursue a professional career overseas since Caitlin Farrell, who finished her Wake Forest career in 2009 and went on to play for FC Twente in the Netherlands.