Gophers soccer's Khyah Harper named Big Ten Forward of the Year

Harper leads the nation in points and is second in the country in goals.

Gophers soccer standout Khyah Harper in action against Creighton on Aug. 15, 2024, at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium in St. Paul, Minn. / Gopher Athletics

It couldn't have been a more impressive senior season for Khyah Harper.

The Gophers soccer standout had already etched her name into the Minnesota record books, and now, she adds a prestigious Big Ten Conference award to her accolades. On Friday, Harper was named the Big Ten Forward of the Year.

Harper also received All-Big Ten First Team honors.

Harper is just the third Gopher to be named Big Ten Forward of the Year and first since April Bockin got the nod in 2018. Harper scored 17 goals this season, third in program history in a single season, scored six game-winning goals, the most in U history, and had 40 points total, fifth in program history. She’s the first Gopher to post three hat tricks in a season. 

Harper’s 40 points lead the nation, and her 2.22 points per game are also best in the country. She’s second in the country with 17 goals and also second in goals per game with 0.94. She helped lead the U to a 12-3-3 record, 6-3-2 in the Big Ten.

Harper wasn’t the only Gophers soccer standout to receive honors from the Big Ten, either. Midfielder Sophia Boman was also an All-Big Ten First Team selection; midfielder Paige Kalal was an All-Big Ten Second Team selection; defender Ashley Thurk made the All-Big Ten Freshman Team; and defender Elizabeth Overberg was a Sportsmanship Award Honoree. 

Boman, a graduate student, is an iron woman who never leaves the field, having played a full 90 minutes in 29 consecutive matches. She’s missed just 154 minutes of game action since her freshman year. Kalal is second on the team with 13 points and is ninth in the nation with nine assists. Thurk has one assist this season and has only missed 11 minutes of game action. Overberg, a captain, started and played every game for the Gophers this season. 

Those were some of the standouts on a Gophers team that's achieved much this season and is looking to accomplish even more. Minnesota begins the Big Ten Tournament, which the program hosts, Friday night against 10th-seeded Penn State. Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and the game can be streamed on Big Ten Network+.