Colleen and Katie Goetzmann have a lot of similarities. They have always played on the same team, both have bounced back from season-ending injuries and they also happen to look exactly alike.

Growing up in Omaha, NE Colleen and Katie’s parents signed them up to play every sport. The twin sisters ended up sticking with soccer because it was the sport where they excelled the most, and the two have been sharing the pitch ever since.

“We’ve always played on the same team,” said Katie, “Even in recess we played together, I would always say ‘We come as a package’.”

In Omaha they helped their high school, Millard North, make the state semifinals every year and win the state championship in 2006, while garnering individual recognition in 2006 and 2007 by being named to the All State team.

Growing up as Husker fans they recall traveling 45 minutes away from home to go watch the Nebraska women’s soccer team play. So it was only fitting that they chose Nebraska as their college soccer stomping ground.

The Goetzmann twins are currently helping Nebraska sit at third in the Big 12 with a 4-3-1 record in conference play.

Katie is currently in her junior year and has started all 17 games this season as the Husker’s left back, while Colleen, in her senior year, has started 16 of the 17 games this season as the teams’ center midfielder.

“Both sisters are very solid,” said Nebraska women soccer coach John Walker. “Katie is a very dangerous attacker and Colleen has great range and great movement without the ball.”

The sisters play off each other and they are constantly pushing one another to play better. If one sister is having a good game that pushes the other sister to play better. Neither sister is afraid of confronting the other, and yet they remain very protective of one other.

“They are very open with each other,” said Walker, “Undeniably very close and protective of each other; your typical twin sisters.”  

Not everything has been jolly since arriving at Nebraska. Colleen recalls how tough their freshman season was.

“Our freshman season, half the team was full of freshman and we had a losing season,” said Colleen, “Now we are near the top of the conference, we’ve definitely grown up a lot.”

Katie had an even tougher time; she had to redshirt her freshman season because of a broken foot in a preseason match.

“It was really hard to have to sit and watch my sister play,” Katie said. “I felt I was falling behind because the first year is so important and I couldn’t play”

Katie wasn’t the only one who had a difficult time with injury.

“I was in the dumps for a while,” said Colleen, “I’m so used to playing with my sister.”

Last season the roles reversed and it was Colleen who had to miss half the season with a torn ACL and it did not only affect Colleen.

“After Colleen tore her ACL, Katie had a tough time in practice the next couple of weeks,” Walker said. “She had a tough time concentrating.”

They both share the same major in Business Administration and they also share the same goal for this season - to win the Big 12 and make it to the tournament.

If you happen to catch the Huskers face Kansas this Friday on Senior Night and you only see one Goetzmann on the field, look closer, the other Goetzmann should not be far behind.

They come as a package.