Paige Birschbach '17 accomplished more on a soccer field in three years than most players accomplish in four. The only Midwest Conference Player of the Year in Ripon College Women's Soccer history, Birschbach was a three-time All-Region and First Team All-Conference selection, earning both honors each year she played after sitting out her freshman season while recovering from injury.

Despite playing just three seasons, Birschbach ranks third in program history for career goals (52), while ranking second in assists (33) and third in points (137). Her eight hat tricks are more than anyone in program history, as she scored at least three goals more than once during each season. Appearing in all 56 games during her career, Birschbach ranks fifth in MWC history for assists per game (0.56).

"Paige was a dynamic goal scorer with an even more dynamic personality. Always a ball of energy, she's often the loudest voice in the room and people gravitate to her, which makes her great to work with," former Ripon Head Women's Soccer Coach Sam Schroeder said. "Her career scoring numbers are fantastic, but I sometimes wonder where they'd be had she played her final year of eligibility. At the same time, I think she was ready to move on and become a wildly successful adult because she had already grown from a cocky small-town All-Star into a big-time grown-up leader."

A native of Eden, Wis., Birschbach was first discovered by Schroeder when she was a freshman at Campbellsport High School, leading her team to an overtime victory against Schroeder's Plymouth High School team, denying them what would have been a conference championship.

"Paige's Coach Tim Scannell became a friend of mine after I moved on to Ripon College, which is how I developed a relationship with Paige, and while she was a prolific goal scorer, the thing that stands out to me was her growth as a person," Schroeder said. "Early in her career, Paige would get frustrated and go missing in big games, while piling up huge points when the game's outcome was no longer in doubt. Fast forward to her final year in the program and I knew we had a chance to do something great when, as captain, she gathered the other senior players in a room and laid out how the season was going to go while empowering her teammates to step up and help lead the group toward that vision."

As grateful as Schroeder was to have Birschbach as a leader on his team, Birschbach was just as grateful that Schroeder took a chance on her, despite her injuries as a high school senior.

"After tearing both of my ACLs, it was a risky decision for me to return to the game at the next level and probably even more of a gamble for a coach to make," Birschbach said. "Coach Schroeder knew my story and injury history, but he never quit on me. He pushed me every single day to be the best athlete I could be, even when I didn't necessarily like it, but more importantly, he pushed me to be the best person I could be and for that I am forever grateful."

After sitting out her freshman season, Birschbach burst onto the scene as a sophomore, finishing second on the team in goals (14), assists (12), and points (40). That helped the Red Hawks qualify for the MWC Tournament for the first time in program history where they would lose in the MWC Championship Game. Birschbach was named Second Team All-Region at the conclusion of that season.

"Probably my favorite memory from my college career came in 2014 when our team advanced to the MWC Tournament," Birschbach said. "As electrifying as that moment was, it was the accountability, perseverance, and dedication that were set in the following years that really made that memory so special." 

She followed that up with another All-Region selection as a junior, which also saw her earn a second consecutive First Team All-Conference nod and her first of two consecutive Academic All-Conference honors. Birschbach finished that season with team-highs in goals (13) and points (34), while ranking second on the team in assists (8).

As the unquestioned leader of the team in her final season of 2016, Birschbach took her game to another level, tying a single season school record with 25 goals, which currently ranks ninth in MWC history, en route to earning MWC Player of the Year and First Team All-Region honors. The NCAA Division-III national leader in both points per game (3.5) and goals per game (1.39) that season, Birschbach also ranked eighth in the country for assists per game (0.72). Her 63 points set a new single season school record, which ranks eighth in conference history, while her four hat tricks also set a new school record. That season saw the team got off to their best start in program history (13-0-1), which included winning their first 10 games of the year, helping Ripon's women's soccer team become regionally ranked for the first time in program history, climbing as high as fourth in the North Region rankings.

"When I saw Paige take on more of a leadership role, that showed a lot of growth both as a player and person, so I knew we were in for a great year in 2016," Schroeder said. "Paige was front and center in every big game and every big moment, leading the way."

A Chemistry major at Ripon, Birschbach received a great education both in the classroom and on the field.

"My college experience was strengthened by athletics because, as much as we were learning in the classroom about different subjects, I was learning just as much about life through athletics," Birschbach said. "Having a good work-life balance has become more evident each year and that's something I learned as a student-athlete as I attempted to balance academics, athletics, and family and friend relationships. With everything I learned, nothing is greater than the relationships built with the amazing group of women I had the pleasure of playing with."

Birschbach currently lives in Campbellsport where she has served as a Territory Manager at Ceva Sante Animale for the past two and a half years.


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