2019 Soccer Roster
Sep 18 (Thu)
7 p.m.
Kelsey Aaknes
- Position:
- Defender
- Height:
- 5-11
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Carlsbad, Calif.
- High School:
- La Costa Canyon H.S.
- 2017 Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention
- 2018 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 11)
- 2018 Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention
Senior (2019): Aaknes, a captain in her senior season, was a major component to the Buffs run to the NCAA Tournament. In her final year with CU, she started in all 22 matches and helped solidify CU’s defensive corps. with eight shutouts on the season…she scored her first career goal against Boston U and added two assists on the season...her goal came as the game winning score in the 2-0 shutout…she recorded a career-high four shots on goal and played a total of 1,894 minutes.
Junior (2018): Aaknes started in 12 of the 14 games she played, missing six matches. She played a part in seven of CU’s eight shutouts on the season. Aaknes totaled one shot on goal in the season-opener against Air Force. She recorded a career-high three assists, ending the season with three points. Aaknes played a full 90 minutes in five matches for the Buffs.
Sophomore (2017): Aaknes started all 22 matches as a defender, splitting time between center back and right back. She helped the Buffs break the school records for shutouts (14) and goals-against average (0.61) as CU reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Individually, she totaled two assists and played 1,975 minutes. The team had a 0.64 GAA when Aaknes was on the pitch, outscoring opponents 28-14. She recorded her first career assist in a 1-0 win over TCU on Aug. 25, setting up Taylor Kornieck for the game-winning goal. She also assisted on Megan Massey’s game-tying goal in a 2-1 win over Denver in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 12. Aaknes played 90 or more minutes 17 times during the season. She also earned Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention with a 3.01 GPA.
Freshman (2016): Aaknes emerged as one of the team’s defensive leaders and led the Buffs to the NCAA Tournament and a second-place finish in the Pac-12. She started 17 of 20 matches as a defender, playing both inside and outside back. She also had eight shot attempts, including two on goal. She made her first career appearance on Aug. 19 in a 2-0 win at Air Force and made her first start on Sept. 4 in a 5-0 win against Drexel. Aaknes went on to start the final 17 matches of the year. In her 1,413 minutes on the field, CU had a 0.83 goals-against average, outscoring opponents 28-13.
CLUB TEAM: She played for Carlsbad Elite and led her club to league championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and finished third at nationals all three years. She helped the club to a regional championship in 2013 as well and was coached by Michael Duggan and Courtney Drummond.
HIGH SCHOOL: Aaknes was a four-year letterwinner, a two-year team captain and a four-year starter, leading La Costa Canyon to a Southern California Division 2 championship in 2015 and a runner-up finish in 2014, as well as two San Diego Open Division championships. As a senior, she had 13 goals and seven assists to lead her team to a 17-4-4 record. For her four-year career, Aaknes had 22 goals and 16 assists and has led her team to a combined 73-20-13 record and was been named second team all-Avocado West twice. She was coached by Natalie Elkind.
IN THE CLASSROOM: She is majoring in psychology with a minors in leadership and ethnic studies. She was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic team in 2017 and 2018.
PERSONAL: She was born Kelsey Anne Aaknes on March 23, 1998, in Highland Park, Ill. She is the daughter of Michael and Suzanne Aaknes and has an older sister Kate, who attends CU Boulder, and a younger brother Jake. Aaknes plans on majoring in psychology and is also interested in education. She would like to become a counselor after graduation. She also helps out in the community regularly, volunteering with the Special Olympics, helping prepare meals for a homeless shelter and is currently a YMCA leader-in-training.
