By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Following a standout collegiate career at Western Washington University, former goalkeeper
Claire Henninger has signed a professional contract to play for Torreense in Portugal.
Henninger will begin her pro career playing for Torreense in the 1A Divisão, Portugal's top division, this fall having already reported to the team for preseason workouts.
Henninger (Sequim, WA) finished her six-year WWU career (5-time letterwinner) in 2023, being selected as the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team All-West Region. In her senior season Henninger recorded a save percentage of 84.1% (58 saves), the 9th highest in program history, en route to leading the GNAC with a 0.61 goals against average and posting nine shutouts.
From 2019-2023 Henninger put together one of the best goalkeeping careers in program history, finishing top-10 all-time in matches played (55), starts (45), wins (31), goals against average (0.59), save percentage (.820), saves (123) and shutouts (21).
Her individual success was recognized with two All-GNAC and All-West Region selections (2022, 2023). During her WWU career she was a member of Viking teams that won two GNAC regular-season championships (2019, 2022), two GNAC tournament championships (2019, 2022), two West-Regional championships (2019, 2022), made a national final in 2019 and won the national championship in 2022. She was selected to the NCAA All-Tournament team after the Vikings' run to the national title in 2022, conceding just three goals in five tournament matches.
In addition to her on-field excellence, Claire was an exemplar student-athlete, earning four GNAC All-Academic selections and two Scholar All-American Selections while completing her graduate degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise Psychology. She was selected as WWU's co-Female Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2023-24.
Henninger becomes the 11th WWU Women's Soccer alum to sign a pro contract, and the first since Peyton Chick in 2021. She joins a prestigious list of players which includes five former all-Americans and three former international players. She is the second goalkeeper in WWU women's soccer history to go pro, joined only by current Vikings assistant coach and WWU Hall of Famer
Jamie Arthurs.
