Michaela Skinner

Class:
Freshman
Position:
GK
Height:
5-7
Hometown:
Chesapeake, Va.

2024 (R-So.)

Started all 18 games in goal
Honored as NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18
Named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 17)
Garnered inclusion on BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (Oct. 15)
Posted a 10-8 record with a 1.76 goals-against-average (GAA), six shutouts, 48 saves and a .600 save percentage
Logged 1093:12 in goal, playing every minute in goal for Liberty
Posted a 4-3 record in BIG EAST play with a 1.57 GAA, three shutouts, 18 saves and a .621 save percentage
Tallied five saves in a 1-0 shutout win over No. 4 Duke, Sept. 15
Notched first career shutout in a 5-0 home win over William & Mary (Sept. 13)
Also had shoutouts against Appalachian State (home, Oct. 6), Villanova (road, Oct. 11), Quinnipiac (home, Oct. 18) and Georgetown (home, Nov. 1)
Recorded four or more saves seven times, made a season-high seven saves against No. 2 North Carolina on Sept. 22

2023 (R-Fr.)

Appeared in two games in goal
Made first two career appearances in wins over Longwood (Sept. 24, road) and Villanova (Oct. 6, home)
Logged 24:16 in cage, did not allow a goal
Played the last 9:16, combined with fellow goalkeeper Azul Iritxity Irigoyen on a 6-0 home shutout over Villanova (Oct. 6)

2022 (Fr.)

Redshirted
Honored on BIG EAST All-Academic team

Prep

Graduate of Western Branch High School
Served as team captain for the Western Branch Bruins for three seasons
Named Class 6A All-Region first team, Class 6A All-State first team and All-Tidewater second team as a senior
Led the Bruins to an 18-4 record and runner-up finish at the state tournament during senior season
Tallied 18 combined shutouts during junior and sophomore seasons while guiding her squad to a 23-7 combined record and state semifinal berth
Received All-Tidewater second team honors as a junior
Earned Class 6A All-Region first team and All-Southeastern District first team accolades during sophomore campaign
Recorded two goals and seven assists as a field player during freshman season for a Bruins squad which finished 9-2 and reached the region semifinals
Competed at the club level for Saints Hockey Rocks based out of Virginia Beach, Va.
Finished fourth in the nation with Saints Hockey Rocks at the U19 National Club Championship and took third place in their pool at the National Indoor Tournament (NIT) (both in 2021)
Helped the Saints to a first place finish in the A pool of the Shooting Stars Jamboree and a second place E pool finish in the NIT (2020)
Finished first in the Region 8 Junior Premier Outdoor League, fourth at the National Club Championship and fifth in pool B of the NIT in 2019
Also competed on her high school’s cross country and track & field squads

Personal

Daughter of Robert and Tina Skinner
Sister, Christina, competed on the East Carolina cross country and track & field teams
Majoring in physical education & health
Birthday is March 4

Student-Athlete Q&A
What made Liberty University the right place for you to attend college/compete at the collegiate level?
Liberty is the right place for me to attend and compete at a high level because it always allows me to play and learn with people who want to strive for similar goals in life.

Is there anything special you do pregame or postgame and why?
A special thing I do before pregame is play board games with some of the girls on the team, which helps relax a lot of us before we go out and play.

Who in your life inspires you and why are they such an inspiration?
My sister is my biggest inspiration in life because she’s someone I’ve looked up to all my life through school. I strive to follow in her footsteps to get good grades. Similar to sports, she was good at them too, and seeing that made me want to be a better person, she set a good example for me. I want to do that for younger girls that look up to me.

If you picked your jersey/uniform number, why is that number important to you?
I picked #99 because I’ve had it since I could remember playing sports.

Do you have any relatives who are playing or have played college or professional sports? (Names, relation to you, what/where they played)?
My sister, Christina Skinner, ran Track/Cross Country for East Carolina University.

Favorite meal (breakfast/lunch/dinner) and what is that special meal?
Mac and Cheese is my favorite meal!

Who was your favorite athlete growing up?
Maddie Hinch.