Cal's Karlie Lema Named ACC Soccer Player of the Year

Lema recorded 16 goals for the Golden Bears, who hope to be invited to the NCAA tournament

Karlie Lema / Photo by Roberts Edwards, KLC fotos

Cal senior forward Karlie Lema, who led the ACC in goals, was named ACC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year on Wednesday.

The Golden Bears finished seventh in the ACC standings, so they did not qualify for the six-team ACC tournament, but they still stand a good chance to be invited to the 64-team NCAA tournament.

Despite Cal’s seventh-place finish, Lema managed to get the conference’s top individual award. She was also named to the All-ACC first team, and Cal goaltender Teagan Wy was named to the second-team All-ACC squad.

Lema finished the regular season with 16 goals, which ranked second in the country when the regular season ended on October 31. She also recorded 38 points, which was second nationally when the regular season concluded.

Lema's 16 goals rank fourth on the program's single-season scoring list, and her 38 points rank fifth, just above former Cal and international star Alex Morgan.

The question now is whether Lema will be named All-America.

The Bears finished with a 12-5-2 record and 5-4-1 in the ACC, generally considered the best women’s soccer conference in the country. Three of the top four teams in this week’s Top Drawer Soccer national rankings are from the ACC.

Lema is the first Golden Bear to earn a major conference award and first team all-conference honor in the same season since Angelina Anderson took home Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year in 2019.

Monday’s NCAA Selection Show will reveal the 64 teams that will play in the women’s NCAA tournament, and Cal has a shot to be one of the 34 teams that will receive at-large bids.