Natalie Beckman
{{Short description|American soccer player}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Natalie Beckman
| image =
| caption =
| full_name = Natalie Katherine Beckman{{cite book |location=Denver |title=Commencement 2022 |chapter=Undergraduate Degrees: Bachelor of Arts |publisher=University of Denver |page=28 |date=June 2022}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|03|25}}
| birth_place = Aurora, Colorado, United States
| height = 5 ft 2 in
| position = Defender
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = –2018
| youthclubs1 = Colorado Storm
| youthyears2 = 2015–2018
| youthclubs2 = Grandview High School Wolves
| collegeyears1 = 2018–2021
| college1 = Denver Pioneers
| collegecaps1 = 83
| collegegoals1 = 21
| clubs1 = Portland Thorns FC
| years1 = 2022–2023
| caps1 = 6
| goals1 = 0
| clubs2 = Sparta Prague
| years2 = 2024
| caps2 = 16
| goals2 = 8
| club-update = December 21, 2024
}}
Natalie Katherine Beckman (born March 25, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender.
Youth career
Beckman was born and raised in Aurora, Colorado, and played youth soccer for Elite Clubs National League club Colorado Storm.{{cite news |url=https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2022/1/4/22865373/meet-the-draftees-natalie-beckman |title=Meet the Draftees: Natalie Beckman |date=January 4, 2022 |access-date=April 3, 2023 |work=Stumptown Footy |first=Grant |last=Little}} She also played as a midfielder for Grandview High School of Aurora, winning state championships in 2015, 2016, and 2018, and appearing in the state final four in 2017.{{cite press release |url=https://www.du.edu/news/du-soccer-standout-ready-shine-national-womens-soccer-league |title=DU Soccer Standout Ready to Shine in National Women's Soccer League |date=March 30, 2022 |access-date=April 3, 2023 |publisher=Denver Pioneers |first=Jon |last=Stone}}{{cite news |url=https://usatodayhss.com/2015/natalie-beckman-a-grandview-wolf-commits-to-du |title=Grandview Wolf, Natalie Beckman, commits to DU |date=August 12, 2015 |access-date=April 3, 2023 |work=USA Today High School Sports |first=Jeremy |last=Chavez}}
College career
On August 12, 2015, Beckman committed to playing NCAA Division I women's soccer for the University of Denver Pioneers, where she played primarily as a left winger. During her career she made 83 total appearances, starting all but two, and scored 21 goals and a program-record 47 assists. In her final season with the Pioneers, Beckman scored five goals and a single-season program record of 18 assists, finishing second in the nation in both assists and assists per match.{{cite web |url=https://denverpioneers.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/natalie-beckman/3601 |title=Natalie Beckman |publisher=Denver Pioneers |access-date=April 10, 2023}} She graduated from Denver with a degree in mathematics and minors in business analytics, psychology, and Spanish. During Beckman's time with the Pioneers, the team won three Summit League championships, and she was named league offensive player of the season twice.{{cite news |url=https://rosecity.review/tag/natalie-beckman/ |title=Thorns 2021 Draft Recap |date=December 20, 2021 |access-date=April 3, 2023 |work=Rose City Review |first=Jaiden |last=Cirioli}}
Club career
= Portland Thorns FC, 2022–2023 =
NWSL club Portland Thorns FC selected Beckman with the 48th overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft. On March 15, 2022, Thorns FC announced that the club had signed Beckman to a one-year contract with an option for an additional year.{{cite press release |url=https://www.timbers.com/thornsfc/news/thorns-fc-sign-midfielder-Natalie-Beckman-forward-natalie-beckman |title= Thorns FC sign midfielder Gabby Provenzano, forward Natalie Beckman |date=March 15, 2022 |access-date=April 2, 2023 |publisher=Portland Timbers}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
On March 26, 2022, Beckman made her professional debut in a 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup match against San Diego Wave FC as a second-half substitute. On June 12, 2022, Beckman made her regular-season debut for Thorns FC in a match against Houston Dash as a 64th-minute substitute.{{cite web |url=https://www.timbers.com/thornsfc/players/natalie-beckman/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423114918/https://www.timbers.com/thornsfc/players/natalie-beckman/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 23, 2022 |title=Natalie Beckman PTFC |access-date=April 3, 2023 |publisher=Portland Timbers}}
Thorns FC exercised its option on Beckman's contract for a second year ahead of the 2023 season. Beckman moved from playing forward to the defense in her second season.{{cite news |url=https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/95624/nwsl-2023-portland-thorns-look-to-go-back-to-back.html |title=NWSL 2023: Portland Thorns look to go back-to-back |date=March 23, 2023 |access-date=April 2, 2023 |work=Soccer America |first=Ben |last=Wiley}}
She was out of contract in November 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/portland-thorns/2023/11/portland-thorns-provide-roster-update-in-early-stages-of-crucial-offseason.html|title=Portland Thorns provide roster update in early stages of crucial offseason|first=Ryan|last=Clarke|date=November 20, 2023|website=oregonlive}}
= AC Sparta Prague, 2024 =
On 1 March 2024, Beckman signed a contract with Czech Women's First League club Sparta Prague.{{Cite web|url=https://sparta.cz/cs/clanek/natalie-beckman-spartankou-42287|title=Natalie Beckman sparťankou|date=1 March 2024|website=AC Sparta Prague|language=cs|access-date=1 March 2024}} After 16 caps, 8 goals in the league and her Champions League debut against Linköping, Beckman in December 2024, left the club.{{Cite web|url=https://sparta.cz/cs/novinky/43393-natalie-beckman-odchazi-ze-sparty|title=Natalie Beckman odchází ze Sparty|date=11 December 2024|website=AC Sparta Prague|language=cs|access-date=21 December 2024}}
Honors
- NWSL Championship: 2022{{cite news |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2022/10/28/nwsl-championship-preview-six-coloradans/ |title=NWSL Championship: Six Coloradans part of primetime showdown between Portland and Kansas City |date=October 28, 2022 |access-date=April 3, 2023 |work=The Denver Post |first=Brendan |last=Ploen}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|natalie-beckman/822233}}
- {{FBref player|de10b12b}}
- [https://denverpioneers.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/natalie-beckman/3601 Denver Pioneers profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20220423114918/https://www.timbers.com/thornsfc/players/natalie-beckman/ Portland Thorns FC profile]
- [https://www.nwslsoccer.com/players/natalie-beckman/stats National Women's Soccer League player profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beckman, Natalie}}
Category:National Women's Soccer League players
Category:American women's soccer players
Category:Denver Pioneers women's soccer players
Category:Portland Thorns FC draft picks
Category:Portland Thorns FC players
Category:Soccer players from Aurora, Colorado
Category:Women's association football forwards
Category:Women's association football defenders
Category:AC Sparta Prague (women) players
Category:American expatriate sportspeople in the Czech Republic
Category:Expatriate women's footballers in the Czech Republic