#4 Leah Klenke 2023-24 Women's Soccer Roster

Career Honors

• 2023 Second Team All-ACC
• 2023 United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-Region
• 2023 CSC Academic All-District
• Two-time ACC All-Academic Team (2023, 2022)
• 2022 ACC All-Freshman Team
• 2022 7th best freshman by Top Drawer Soccer
• 2022 Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI First Team

As a Sophomore (2023)

• Second Team All-ACC
• United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-Region
• CSC Academic All-District Team
• ACC All-Academic Team
• Started all 20 games for the Irish, logging 1,740 minutes on the pitch
• Led Irish with 10 assists
• Her 10 assists ranked 4th in the ACC and 18th in the nation
• Her 0.5 assists/game ranked 4th in the ACC and 18th in the nation as well
• Produced one multi-assist game – against Wake Forest (9/15)
• Tallied the most assists in league play of any ACC player with 7
• Scored 2 goals – both game-winners
• The memorable one being the game-winner at Duke in the 87th minute for the 2-1 ND victory
• Produced 14 points on the season
• Registered a point in 10 of the last 16 matches

As a Freshman (2022):

• ACC All-Freshman Team selection
• Was named the 7th best freshman in the country by Top Drawer Soccer.
• Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI First Team
• ACC All-Academic Team
• ACC Defensive Player of the Week (Aug. 30)
• Started in all 23 games for the Irish in her freshman season.
• Took over the left wing-back position and helped the three-woman backline have a dominating defensive season.
• Scored 2 goals on the year – 1 in the season opener versus Marquette – the other was an incredible deep shot from the left side (outside the box) that soared over the keeper and back into the far corner of the net against Illinois.
• Also registered 2 assists to finish with 6 points on the year. Klenke produced an assist vs. Western Michigan with a high crossing ball that found Maddie Mercado’s head. The next came in the upset win over No. 3 Florida State.
• The Irish backline of Klenke, Waniya Hudson and Eva Gaetino, along with goalkeeper Mackenzie Wood, only allowed 16 goals on the year. Furthermore, they only allowed 70 shots on goal over 23 games – which equates to a stout 3.0 SOG per game.
• Notre Dame’s defensive/goalie crew completed 14 shutouts on the year – their most since 2016 (15). Their shutout percentage of 0.609 ranked 8th in the country and first in the ACC.
• Before bowing out in the Elite Eight, the Irish were the only team up to that point to have not given up a goal in the NCAA Tournament, an 11-0 goal differential. 
• Start of 2023 – invited to the U.S. Women’s Youth National Team Combined U-18/U-19 Training Camp in Carson, California.
• Made the U20 Team USA roster for the 2023 Women’s U20 CONCACAF Championships. Later took home the gold medal
   

Coach Norman on Klenke:

“Leah is an extremely fast and athletic player that can play multiple positions. She is a very good 1v1 defender and also has the ability to attack from wide areas. She has a relentless engine and can run for days. I can’t wait to coach her and I believe she will be a great fit for our program.”

Prep/Club:

• Texas State champion with St. Agnes Academy
  • Defeated Dallas Bishop Lynch, 6-0, her sophomore year
• Three-time All-State honoree (First Team twice, Second Team once)
• Two-time State Championship All-Tournament Team selection
• Three-time First Team All-District
• Two-time Top Drawer Soccer Winter State Star
• Top Drawer Soccer All-Region Team
• Top Drawer Fab 50 Team Rank No. 9 in nation
• Houston Chronicle All-Greater Houston Private School Player of the Year
• Tallied 70 goals and 49 assists in three years of high school soccer. 
• Played club with AHFC ECNL U18-U19
• AHFC ECNL Club Team Captain
• ECNL BEST XI National Training Camp Award
• Two-time ECNL First Team All-Conference
• ECNL National Selection Game
• Two-time ECNL Conference Selection Program
• Top Drawer Soccer BEST XI ECNL Showcase New Jersey
• Grandpa JJ McNamara played baseball at Notre Dame (‘61 grad)
• Both parents are ND grads (‘96)

National

• Named to the U.S. U20 World Cup roster competing in Colombia starting August 31.
• Invited to U.S. U20 sqaud’s training camp in Bogota, Colombia, Feb. 18-28, 2024 in prep for the 2024 U-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
• Start of 2023 – invited to the U.S. Women’s Youth National Team Combined U-18/U-19 Training Camp in Carson, California.
• Made the U20 Team USA roster for the 2023 Women’s U20 CONCACAF Championships
• USWNT U14-17, U-18, U-20 Player Pool
• US Girls National Team Campus U14
• US Market Training ID Centers
• ODP Top-12 All-Star National Award Recipient
• ODP National Training Camps and Events
• ODP South Region Team

WPSL (Women’s Premier Soccer League)

• AHFC Royals under Coach Danny Hill, Ben Williams
• WPSL All-Conference Team
• WPSL Team Conference Champions

Also ran Track & Cross Country in high school
Track

• TAPPS 6A League Record Holder 1600M
• Three-time First Team All-State
• Three-time First Team All Region
• St. Agnes Academy Record Holder in the 800M, 1600M, 3200M, and SMR relay
• Athlete of the Meet Award (top point scorer) at State Championship meet
• Athlete of the Meet Award (top point scorer) at Region meet
• Two-time team State champion
• Individual State champion in 800M, 1600M and 3200M
• Academic All-State Track

Cross Country

• First Team All-State
• Individual State champion in cross country