Schlegel was born in Englewood, Colorado and grew up in Parker, Colorado, with her parents Mike and Angela Schlegel.[1] When Schlegel was 10,[2] she and her teammates received pink headbands at a soccer tournament.[3] Schlegel continues to wear a pink headband as a personal brand while playing professionally.[4] She attended Chaparral High School, but only played on its soccer team during her freshman year.[1]
College career
Schlegel played four years for the Nittany Lions from 2018 to 2022, scoring 47 goals and 20 assists in 85 appearances.[5] She earned a first-team All-American selection in 2020 and was a two-time Hermann Trophy semi-finalist.[6] Schlegel served as team captain in 2021 and 2022.[7] In her final season in 2022, she led the Big Ten in goals.[8]
Club career
With the 11th pick of the second round in the 2023 NWSL Draft, the Chicago Red Stars drafted Schlegel.[8] On April 22, 2023, she scored her first professional goal against the OL Reign.[6] For the 2024 NWSL season, the Red Stars hired Lorne Donaldson as coach. The move reunites him with Schlegel, who Donaldson had worked with at an youth soccer organization in Colorado.[9]