Kaitlyn MacBean (born September 5, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Damallsvenskan club IFK Norrköping. She played college soccer for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning All-American honors twice.
_22_(cropped).jpg) MacBean with Penn State in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | September 5, 2001[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | IFK Norrköping | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Minnesota Thunder | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2025 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 88 | (39) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2026– | IFK Norrköping | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of March 28, 2026 | |||
Early life
editMacBean was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of Bridget and Craig MacBean, and has two brothers.[1] She grew up in Excelsior, Minnesota, and played club soccer for Minnesota Thunder Academy, earning ECNL all-conference honors twice.[2] She attended Breck School, where she was a four-time all-state selection in soccer, was named Ms. Soccer Minnesota in 2019, and also won a state track title in the 4 × 100 meters relay.[2][3] She committed to play college soccer at Pennsylvania State University before her sophomore year.[4]
College career
editMacBean took medical redshirts in her first two seasons with the Penn State Nittany Lions while recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.[2][5] She made her college debut in the 2022 season, playing in 19 games as a substitute and scoring 3 goals, and was named in the Big Ten Conference all-freshman team. In the 2022 Big Ten tournament final, she scored once and Ally Schlegel scored twice in the victory over Michigan State.[2][6] She became a starter during her redshirt junior season in 2023, jointly leading the team with 10 goals and adding 6 assists in 23 games, and was named third-team All-Big Ten. She scored four goals in the 2023 NCAA tournament as she helped the Nittany Lions to their first quarterfinal appearance in five years.[2][7]
MacBean carried a scoring streak into her redshirt senior season in 2024, which stretched to eight games including a hat trick against West Virginia. She finished the season with a career-high 16 goals in 25 games, the most by a Nittany Lion since Maya Hayes in 2013, and was named first-team All-Big Ten and fourth-team All-American. In the 2024 NCAA tournament, she scored twice and again helped the team to the quarterfinals.[2][8] After undergoing surgery after the season, she opted to return for a sixth and final season as a graduate student in 2025, writing on social media: "I'm back".[7][9] She scored 10 goals in 21 games in 2025, earning first-team All-Big Ten and fourth-team All-American honors for the second time.[2]
Club career
editMacBean trained with National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team Denver Summit FC as a non-roster trialist in the preseason in January 2026.[10] The following month, she signed her first professional contract with Swedish club IFK Norrköping.[11]
Honors and awards
editPenn State Nittany Lions
Individual
References
edit- 1 2 "Women's Soccer Welcomes 2020 Incoming Class". Penn State Nittany Lions. March 25, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Kaitlyn MacBean". Penn State Nittany Lions. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
- ↑ Bisogno, Dominic (July 5, 2023). "Local women's soccer players learning and thriving with Minnesota Aurora". Hometown Source. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
- ↑ Clark, Travis (July 31, 2017). "Recruiting Roundup: July 31-August 6". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
- ↑ "Soccer Star Kaitlyn MacBean '20 is playing for Big Ten Glory". Breck School. September 12, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
- ↑ "Penn State Wins 2022 Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament Title". Big Ten Conference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
- 1 2 Aberegg, Noah (August 8, 2025). "Kaitlyn MacBean reflects on Penn State women's soccer career ahead of last dance". Daily Collegian. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
- ↑ Olorunfemi, Victor (August 13, 2025). "TDS Women's Player of the Year Favorites". Retrieved August 14, 2025.
- ↑ Horstman, Will (May 1, 2025). "Penn State women's soccer's Kaitlyn MacBean returning in 2025". Daily Collegian. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
- ↑ Gari, Brielle (January 14, 2026). "Former Penn State women's soccer forward Kaitlyn MacBean earns invite to NWSL camp". Daily Collegian. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Välkommen till IFK Norrköping, Kaitlyn MacBean" (in Swedish). IFK Norrköping. February 18, 2026. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
External links
edit