Tar Heels Head To Sunshine State for Pair of Games

Starting senior defender Maya Worth and the Tar Heels travel to Florida this weekend.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

August 23, 2017 | Women's Soccer

2017 Game Notes (PDF)Watch UNC-UCF UNC-UCF Live Stats Watch UNC-South Florida UNC-South Florida Live Stats

UNC to meet UCF and USF

By: Dave Lohse

TAR HEELS TRAVEL TO SUNSHINE STATE FOR PAIR OF GAMES: The University of North Carolina women's soccer team returns to the pitch this weekend for its first road trip of the season.
The Tar Heels, who beat Duke 2-1 in overtime last Friday in the season opener, will play UCF Friday and USF Sunday.
Carolina comes into the week ranked fourth by the United Soccer Coaches, eighth by Top Drawer Soccer and ninth by Soccer America.

VERSUS UCF FRIDAY: The Tar Heels begin the road trip Friday with a game against the University of Central Florida which is coached by 1999 UNC alumna and former Tar Heel soccer All-America Tiffany Roberts.
The Knights are 1-1 on the campaign, losing last Friday at #4 South Carolina 2-0 and winning at home last Sunday against Stetson 2-0.
The game will be played at the UCF Soccer and Track Complex in Orlando, Fla. Game time is 7 p.m.
The game will be webcast live on UCFKnightsTV.com for a free. Live stats will be available on UCFKnights.com and GoHeels.com.

VERSUS USF SUNDAY: The Tar Heels will travel to Tampa, Fla. on Sunday to face the University of South Florida Bulls at 1 p.m.
The game will be played at Corbett Stadium in Tampa.
The Bulls are 2-0 so far this season, capturing a pair of home games last weekend. The Bulls defeated Charlotte 3-2 in overtime last Friday and then downed American 2-0 last Sunday. USF is on the road this Thursday, playing at Alabama.
Sunday's game will be webcast on Facebook Live and live stats will be available on GoUSFBulls.com and GoHeels.com.

TAR HEELS OPEN WITH VICTORY OVER DUKE: Jessie Scarpa scored off an assist by Joanna Boyles in the fourth minute of overtime on August 18 to lift the sixth-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over 12th-ranked Duke before an overflow crowd of 2,012 fans at WakeMed Soccer Park.
UNC is playing its 2017 home games in Cary while a new Fetzer Field is being built on campus. With seating for only around 500 spectators, fans filled every available nook and cranny of the Koka Booth Stadium to watch another in the long series of titanic battles between the two old rivals. UNC earned its first win over the Blue Devils since 2014 and now leads the all-time series 38-3-2.
The matchup did not disappoint in the season opener for both teams. Scarpa and Boyles returned to the pitch Friday for the first time since 2015 after redshirting in the 2016 campaign and they provided the key plays in the Tar Heels' come-from-behind win. Scarpa missed last year while playing with the U.S. U20 National Team at the World Cup in Papua New Guinea while Boyles redshirted after suffering an ACL tear in practice late in the 2015 season.
Their return was obviously serendipitous for Coach Anson Dorrance's side. Duke drew first blood in the match after the Tar Heels turned the ball over in the midfield. Imani Dorsey fed a ball from the left side of the field to Ella Stevens who lofted a perfectly placed ball over the Tar Heel defensive line while driving down the middle of the field. Taylor Racioppi was on the receiving end of the service and she got enough of her right foot on it to send it over the arms of UNC goalkeeper Samantha Leshnak, who was making her second career start. The goal came at 24:46 of the match.
UNC had two golden opportunities to tie the score over the next few minutes. Joanna Boyles had her shot go high at 27:46 off a direct kick and then Bridgette Andrzejewski stole a clearance pass and missed just high of the cross bar at 28:23.
Just over three minutes later, however, the Tar Heels got the tying tally after UNC freshman midfielder Emily Fox drove to the goal and drew a foul just outside the penalty area. Boyles stepped up and this time her kick was true as she sent it past the Duke defensive wall and Duke goalkeeper E.J. Proctor. It hit the underside of the cross bar and nestled into the back netting for a tie game. It was Boyles' first goal since she scored against Notre Dame on October 22, 2015.
The two teams went to halftime tied at 1-1 and with Duke having outshot Carolina 5-4 in the first half. While Carolina possessed the ball for long periods in the second half, it was Duke who seemed to create the most dangerous opportunities to get a game-winner. The two teams also combined for 11 corner kicks in the second half. Duke took 10 of the 15 shots in the second half.
The drama in the game amped up to another level in the closing two minutes of regulation as Samantha Leshnak kept the Tar Heels in the match by making two incredible saves in one-on-one chances against veteran Duke forwards who found themselves open in the penalty area. She knocked down a shot by Racioppi with 1:07 left in regulation and then made another world class save to deny a shot by Kayla McCoy with 18 seconds to play. Malinda Allen sent a follow up shot wide left and the Heels survived to play overtime.
After those late Duke chances, UNC came out with four defenders in the overtime, one of them being Scarpa, who joined Julia Ashley, Taylor Otto and Maya Worth in the back. Just under three minutes into overtime, the Tar Heels earned a corner kick from the right side. Boyles' initial service was volleyed out by the Duke defense but Dorian Bailey tracked the ball down on the right side of the box and sent the ball to Boyles' foot again. The pass could not have been truer as Scarpa skyed over two Duke defenders to head the orb down and inside the left post from 12 yards out, setting off a mass celebration on the field and in the crowd. It was the first goal for Scarpa since she scored against Liberty on November 13, 2015.
Duke finished with a 15-10 edge in shots while both teams took six corner kicks. E.J. Proctor played all 93:12 in goal for Duke and made two saves while allowing two goals. Samantha Leshnak proved to be another hero on the night for the light blue XI as in her 93:12 between the pipes she made six saves while allowing just goal.

BOYLES NAMED ACC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF WEEK AFTER SEASON OPENER: North Carolina senior midfielder Joanna Boyles earned the first Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week honor of the season August 21.
Boyles tallied a goal and an assist as No. 6 (coaches poll) /10 (Soccer America poll) North Carolina rallied for 2-1 overtime win against #12 (coaches poll)/13 (Soccer America poll) Duke on August 18 in the season opener for both teams at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
After Duke had taken a 1-0 lead in the game's 25th minute, Boyles scored the game-tying goal 6:54 later. She scored on a direct kick from 20 yards out that hit the underside of the cross bar and bounced in. The game went to overtime and Boyles stepped up again with the assist on the game-winner by Jessie Scarpa at 93:12. UNC earned a corner kick in the 93rd minute and Boyles' corner was volleyed out by a Duke defender. UNC's Dorian Bailey tracked down the ball and sent it back to Boyles, whose service into the box was perfect, finding Scarpa around eight yards out, and she headed the ball down and just inside the left post for the game-winning tally.

TAR HEELS TO HOST PROJECT HEEL FUNDRAISER FOR CANCER RESEARCH: The University of North Carolina women's soccer team will host the seventh annual Project Heel Soccer Skills Clinic on Sunday, September 10 from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
All proceeds from the clinic will benefit the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Soccer players in the eighth grade or younger are invited to come work on their skills with members of the Carolina women's soccer team. In addition to raising money for a valuable charity at UNC, each camper will receive a Project Heel T-shirt.
The clinic will be held at Finley South, 170 Old Mason Farm Road in Chapel Hill from 12:30-2 p.m. The clinic cost is $30 pre-registration, $35 day of event. Payment can be via either cash or check.

A NEW HOME FOR 2017: North Carolina women's soccer's long-time home, Fetzer Field, was torn down in May 2017 and a new Fetzer Field is currently being built on the same spot on the UNC campus with the opening scheduled for August 2018.
In the interim, UNC's five home games for the 2017 campaign are being played at Koka Booth Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
Seating capacity at Koka Booth Stadium is 500 plus standing room. No admission charge will be in place for any of UNC's five regular-season home games in 2017.
The Tar Heels' five home games started with a 2-1 overtime win over Duke on August 18. Remaining regular-season home games are against Clemson on September 21, against Syracuse on September 30, against Louisville on October 22 and against Notre Dame on October 26.
The previous Fetzer Field was built in 1935 as a Works Project Administration program in the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It became the home of UNC women's soccer when the team became a varsity program in 1979.

CONSISTENCY, STATISTICAL ANOMALY OR JUST VERY GOOD?: North Carolina enters Friday's match against UCF with an all-time winning percentage of .907 dating back to the program's first year in 1979.
The fact is that UNC's program under the direction of head coach Anson Dorrance has been remarkably consistent in his 39 years as head coach regardless of where or when the Tar Heels took the pitch.
Under Dorrance, UNC has won 90.7 percent of its games overall, 86.5 percent of its ACC regular-season games, 89.4 percent of its ACC Tournament games, 90.4 percent of its NCAA Tournament games, 91.6 percent of its home games and 90.1 percent of its road and neutral site games.

DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT LATE IN 2016: North Carolina enters the game against UCF having allowed only three goals in its past 10 matches going back to last season.
Carolina's defensive improvement at the end of the 2016 season allowed the Tar Heels to advance to the NCAA College Cup for the first time since 2012.
UNC head coach Anson Dorrance is looking to rebuild his defense from 2016. Record-setting goalkeeper Lindsey Harris graduated after setting a school record for saves in a season with 96.
UNC also lost left back Hanna Gardner to graduation after starting over her entire career. Last year's center back in the 3-4-3 formation, Maggie Bill, will be taking a medical redshirt in 2017, after suffering a knee injury during last year's Carolina women's lacrosse season.
In the season opener against Duke, the Tar Heels started junior Samantha Leshnak in goal, junior Julia Ashley at left back, redshirt freshman Taylor Otto at center back and redshirt senior Maya Worth at left back.
Leshnak, making only her second career start in goal against the Blue Devils, made six saves and allowed only one goal in more than 93 minutes of action.

16 TAR HEELS NAMED TO 2016-17 ACC ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL: A record 385 North Carolina student-athletes were named to the 2016-17 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll, announced on July 13, 2017 by the league. It's the second year in a row and the fourth time in the past five years that UNC has established a new high and the fifth year in a row that more than 300 Tar Heel student-athletes have been honored.
Coach Anson Dorrance's North Carolina women's soccer team produced 16 of the 385 Tar Heels on the Honor Roll. Fifty-three percent of the team's 30 members were tapped for the Honor Roll. Carolina had placed 17 members of the team on the 2015-16 Honor Roll. Seniors Joanna Boyles and Darcy McFarlane were named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll for the fourth successive year.
The 2016-17 school year honorees included sophomore Julia Ashley, sophomore Dorian Bailey, senior Joanna Boyles, junior Megan Buckingham, junior Cannon Clough, sophomore Nicole Crutchfield, senior Sarah Ashley Firstenberg, senior Hanna Gardner, senior Lindsey Harris, junior Annie Kingman, senior Darcy McFarlane, sophomore Kate Morris, freshman Zoe Redei, junior Frances Reuland, freshman Abby Staker and junior Maya Worth.
The ACC Honor Roll is comprised of student-athletes who participated in a varsity-level sport and registered a grade point average of 3.0 or better for the full academic year. The conference recognized a record 4,472 student-athletes for their hard work in the classroom.
UNC's record total marked an improvement of 29 over last year, when the Tar Heels had an all-time high of 356 students honored. Carolina had 339 recognized in 2014-15, following a then-record 347 in 2013-14. UNC's total in 2012-13, 329, was also a record at the time.
The number of UNC students honored for 2016-17 is roughly half of Carolina's total number of student-athletes and is an improvement of about 100 student-athletes over the past decade.

FOUR TAR HEELS NAMED TO 2016 ALL-ACC ACADEMIC TEAM: Four members of Coach Anson Dorrance's 2016 NCAA semifinalist women's soccer team were named to the sport's All-ACC Academic Team as announced on February 7, 2017 by Commissioner John Swofford.
All 15 schools were represented on last year's All-ACC Academic Team. The Tar Heels who earned honors on last year's team were senior midfielder Cameron Castleberry, redshirt senior defender Hanna Gardner, junior midfielder Megan Buckingham and junior midfielder Annie Kingman.
Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during a player's academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.
2016 All-ACC Academic Women's Soccer Team - North Carolina Honorees
Megan Buckingham, Jr., North Carolina, Media & Journalism
Cameron Castleberry, Sr., North Carolina, Psychology
Hanna Gardner, R-Sr., North Carolina, Biology & Environmental Studies
Annie Kingman, Jr., North Carolina, Economics

TAR HEELS ELECT TEAM CAPTAINS: The North Carolina women's soccer team has elected four players as team captains for the 2017 campaign. The captains are senior midfielder Annie Kingman of Woodside, Calif., senior midfielder Joanna Boyles of Raleigh, N.C., junior defender Julia Ashley of Verona, N.J. and senior midfielder Megan Buckingham of Novi, Mich.

INITIAL TV SCHEDULE FOR UNC WOMEN'S SOCCER IN 2017 ANNOUNCED: The initial list of 2017 University of North Carolina women's soccer games to be televised and webcast in affiliation with the Atlantic Coast Conference was announced on August 14.
Additions to the TV list could come from other networks at a future date and game times on the designated dates are currently tentative.
Here's a rundown of UNC women's soccer television/webcasting dates so far. ACC Tournament games are pending if the Tar Heels earn a tourney invite and advance round by round.
ESPNU
Sunday, September 24, 2017, North Carolina at Virginia, 3 p.m., Charlottesville, Va.
Sunday, November 5, 2017, ACC Championship final game, 1 p.m., Charleston, S.C.
Regional Sports Network
Friday, November 3, 2017, ACC Championship semifinal game #1, 5:30 p.m., Charleston, S.C.
Friday, November 3, 2017, ACC Championship semifinal game #2, 8 p.m., Charleston, S.C.
ACC Network Extra Games (with live streaming on WatchESPN)
Friday, August 18, 2017, North Carolina vs. Duke, 6 p.m., Cary, N.C. (Tar Heels win in overtime 2-1)
Friday, September 1, 2017, North Carolina vs. Auburn, 5 p.m., Durham, N.C.
Sunday, September 3, 2017, North Carolina vs. UNCW, 11 a.m., Durham, N.C.
Sunday, September 17, 2017, North Carolina at Florida State, 1 p.m., Tallahassee, Fla.
Thursday, September 21, 2017, North Carolina vs. Clemson, 6 p.m., Cary, N.C.
Saturday, September 30, 2017, North Carolina vs. Syracuse, 12 p.m., Cary, N.C.
Thursday, October 5, 2017, North Carolina at Miami, 7 p.m., Coral Gables, Fla.
Sunday, October 8, 2017, North Carolina at Wake Forest, 5 p.m., Winston-Salem, N.C.
Thursday, October 19 2017, North Carolina at Virginia Tech, 7 p.m., Blacksburg, Va.
Sunday, October 22, 2017, North Carolina vs. Louisville, 1 p.m., Cary, N.C.
Thursday, October 26, 2017, North Carolina vs. Notre Dame, 6 p.m., Cary, N.C.
Other Webcasts
Friday, August 25, 2017, North Carolina at UCF, 7 p.m., KnightsTV.com
Sunday, August 27, 2017, 1 p.m., Facebook Live

SCARPA, WUBBEN-MOY NAMED TO TOP DRAWER SOCCER PRESEASON XI TEAMS: University of North Carolina junior forward Jessie Scarpa has been named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Women's Division I preseason Best XI team announced by the magazine on August 14.
In addition, freshman defender Lotte Wubben-Moy, a native of England, who will join the Tar Heels on August 23 and is projected as UNC's starter at center back this year, was tapped for Top Drawer Soccer's Freshman Best XI.
The return of last fall's U.S. U20 Women's World Cup team is significant in this year's Preseason Best XI for women's Division I soccer. Scarpa was one of many preseason Best XI selections who played in last year's U20 FIFA World Cup in Papua, New Guinea and sat out the 2016 collegiate season in the process. Wubben-Moy was a member of the English Team that played at the 2016 U17 Women's World Cup. She is currently a member of the English side at the U19 level.

WCHL ANNOUNCES 2017 WOMEN'S SOCCER BROADCAST SCHEDULE: WCHL Radio (97.9 FM, 1360 AM) has announced its 2017 broadcast schedule for the University of North Carolina women's soccer season. This marks the seventh successive year that UNC's hometown radio station has aired games involving the storied program of head coach Anson Dorrance.
Paul Connell is back for his sixth year as the play-by-play announcer for Tar Heel women's soccer on WCHL. John Stanley also returns as the chief analyst and a roster of former Tar Heel women's soccer players will also serve as guest commentators during the course of the season.
WCHL will air six regular season games – three at Carolina's temporary 2017 home field at WakeMed Soccer Park. WCHL will also air a game against UNCW at Durham, N.C., and road games at Virginia and Wake Forest.
If UNC qualifies for the NCAA Tournament and earns the right to host games, WCHL plans to also air up to three games in Cary on the road to the 2017 College Cup slated for December 1 and 3 in Orlando, Fla.
There will be a half hour pre-game show with the exception of the Clemson and Notre Dame games which will be tape delayed by one hour in each instance. Those games start at 6 p.m. real time but will air beginning at 7 p.m. on WCHL.
Broadcast Schedule
Sunday, Sept. 3, 11 a.m., vs. UNCW at Duke Nike Classic, Durham, N.C.
Thursday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m (tape delay, match starts at 6 p.m. real time), vs. Clemson, Cary, N.C.
Sunday, Sept. 24, 3 p.m., at Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
Sunday, Oct. 8, 5 p.m., at Wake Forest, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Sunday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m., vs. Louisville, Cary, N.C.
Thursday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m. (tape delay, match starts at 6 p.m. real time), vs. Notre Dame, Cary, N.C.
Potential NCAA Tournament Games in Cary, N.C.
Saturday, November 11, NCAA First Round
Friday, November 17, NCAA Second Round
Sunday, November 19, NCAA Third Round

ANDRZEJEWSKI NAMED TO HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST: United Soccer Coaches (formerly the NSCAA) and the Missouri Athletic Club announced August 8 the 61 NCAA Division I players named to the 2017 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch Lists for women and men for the 2017 season.
University of North Carolina sophomore forward Bridgette Andrzejewski is amongst the 30 female candidates on the 2017 Watch List. Andrzejewski was the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2016 while leading the Tar Heels to the College Cup. She was also an NSCAA coaches third-team All-America selection. The Lutherville, Md., native started 21 games last year and played in 25. She led UNC with nine goals and a total of 20 points.
The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year. This year's winners will be announced Friday, Jan. 5, 2018 at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
The MAC Hermann Trophy Watch Lists are compiled by members of the United Soccer Coaches Men's and Women's NCAA Division I All-America Committees. Fifteen semifinalists will be named for both the men's and women's MAC Hermann Trophy near the end of the college season based on voting by NCAA Division I coaches and from those candidates, three finalists will ultimately be placed on the ballot for the coveted award.
For more information about the MAC Hermann Trophy, including a list of past winners, visit MACHermannTrophy.org.

TAR HEELS CHECK IN AT NO. 6 IN PRESEASON COACHES POLL: Coach Anson Dorrance's 2017 University of North Carolina women's soccer team was ranked sixth in the preseason poll issued August 4 by the United Soccer Coaches Association. The USCA previously went under the name of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America before being changed this summer.
North Carolina, returning six starters off its 2016 team which reached the NCAA semifinals before falling to West Virginia 1-0, was 17-4-4 a year ago. The Tar Heels were one of six Atlantic Coast Conference teams in the preseason Top 25 poll and the highest-ranking league entity in the group.
West Virginia, 2016 NCAA finalist, is ranked No. 1, while Stanford is second, 2016 NCAA champion USC is third, South Carolina is fourth and Georgetown fifth. The Tar Heels, who defeated the Gamecocks in last year's NCAA quarterfinals, head the second five in the poll followed by No. 7 Florida, No. 8 BYU, No. 9 UCLA and No. 10 Auburn.
UNC's 2017 regular season schedule includes games against No. 10 Auburn, No. 11 Virginia, No. 12 Duke, No. 13 Clemson, No. 15 Florida State and No. 18 Notre Dame.

UNC PICKED 10TH IN PRESEASON SOCCER AMERICA POLL: The 2017 University of North Carolina women's soccer team was ranked 10th the preseason Soccer America poll released August 16. Coach Anson Dorrance's team returns 20 letter winners and six starters from last year's squad which reached the NCAA College Cup semifinals before falling to consensus #1-ranked West Virginia 1-0.
Stanford was No. 1 in the Soccer America Women's Preseason College 25 rankings ahead of West Virginia, the 2016 NCAA Division I runner-up, Penn State, UCLA and Florida State, which rounded out the top five. Defending national champion USC is No. 8.
The Tar Heels play seven games in their 2017 regular season against teams in the Soccer America preseason Top 25.

CAROLINA PICKED SECOND IN 2017 PRESEASON ACC POLL: Coach Anson Dorrance's 2017 University of North Carolina women's soccer team has been picked to finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings for the upcoming season. The Tar Heels finished behind only 2016 ACC Tournament champion Florida State among the 14 teams in the preseason poll.
Two Tar Heel forwards were picked to the preseason All-ACC Team in a vote by the league's 14 head coaches. Sophomore Bridgette Andrzejewski, the 2016 ACC Freshman of the Year, was named to the preseason team. She is joined on the preseason honor squad by Tar Heel redshirt junior Jessie Scarpa. A 2016 redshirt while she was playing on the U.S. U20 National Team at the FIFA World Cup, Scarpa was a first-team All-ACC choice as a sophomore in 2015.
The Seminoles received eight first-place votes and 186 points, followed by North Carolina (two first-place votes, 172 points), Duke (one first-place vote, 170 points), Virginia (two first-place votes, 160 points) and Notre Dame (one first place vote, 145 points). Clemson placed sixth in the voting followed by NC State, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Boston College placed 10th followed by Miami, Louisville, Syracuse and Pitt.
ACC women's soccer teams kicked off their 2017 season on Friday, Aug. 18. The top eight teams in the final league standings will advance to the ACC Championship, which will get underway with quarterfinal matches at campus sites on Sunday, Oct. 29. The semifinals and final are scheduled for Nov. 3 and Nov. 5 at MUSC Health Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina.
2017 Preseason All-ACC Women's Soccer Team
Cassie Miller, R-Sr., GK, Florida State
Sam Staab, Jr., D, Clemson
Rebecca Quinn, Sr., D, Duke
Natalia Kuikka, Jr., D, Florida State
Megan Connolly, Jr., M, Florida State
Sandra Yu, Sr., M, Notre Dame
Deyna Castellanos, So., F, Florida State
Jessie Scarpa, Jr., F, North Carolina
Bridgette Andrzejewski, So., F, North Carolina
Jennifer Westendorf, So., F, Notre Dame
Veronica Latsko, Sr., F, Virginia
Preseason ACC Coaches Poll
1. Florida State (186 points, 8 first-place votes)
2. North Carolina (172, 2 first-place votes)
3. Duke (170, 1 first-place vote)
4. Virginia (160, 2 first-place votes)
5. Notre Dame (145, 1 first-place votes)
6. Clemson (120)
7. NC State (104)
8. Virginia Tech (91)
9. Wake Forest (72)
10. Boston College (71)
11. Miami (65)
12. Louisville (63)
13. Syracuse (33)
14. Pitt (18)

TAR HEELS HOST FIVE GAMES AT WAKEMED SOCCER PARK IN 2017: The University of North Carolina will play host to five games this fall at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., while the new Fetzer Field is being built on the UNC campus.
The Tar Heels will host five ACC opponents at WakeMed which is located at 201 Soccer Park Drive in Cary. The Tar Heels are playing Duke in the season opener in a designated non-conference game and then playing four ACC games later in the year.
The schedule is as follows:
Friday, August 18 – Duke vs. North Carolina, WakeMed Soccer Park, 6 p.m.
Thursday, September 21 – Clemson vs. North Carolina, WakeMed Soccer Park, 6 p.m.
Saturday, September 30 – Syracuse vs. North Carolina, WakeMed Soccer Park, 12 p.m.
Sunday, October 22 – Louisville vs. North Carolina, WakeMed Soccer Park, 1 p.m.
Thursday, October 26 – Notre Dame vs. North Carolina, WakeMed Soccer Park, 6 p.m.
Following are some bullet points for fans as they plan their trips to Cary to watch the Tar Heels play this year.
• There will be no admission fee
• There will be no parking fee (primary parking in lot B and plenty of overflow)
• There is permanent seating for 500 fans
• There will be standing room only seating if the grandstand fills up
• No outside food or beverage can be brought in
• Concessions will be available (Backyard Bistro)
• Gates will open one hour prior to kickoff
• All five home games as tentatively scheduled to be streamed on ACC Network Extra and three games are tentatively scheduled for WCHL Radio

TAR HEELS ANNOUNCE NINE NEWCOMERS FOR 2017 SQUAD: The University of North Carolina women's soccer program finalized its recruiting class for 2017 on June 21 as announced by head coach Anson Dorrance.
The recruiting class includes four freshmen who enrolled at Carolina in January 2017 as well as another four players who have been admitted to the University and enrolled in August of this year. Another player attended Carolina as a freshman last year and is joining UNC women's soccer for her sophomore season this fall.
Miah Araba is a local player for the Tar Heels who is a native of Chapel Hill and the valedictorian of the 2017 class at Carrboro High School. The 5-3 Araba played four years of high school soccer at Carrboro High where she was a member of 2A NCHSAA state championship teams three straight years from 2015-17. Each of those years she was named All-Conference, All-Region and All-State. In 47 career games, she recorded 147 points on 54 goals and 39 assists. She was consistent throughout her career, recording 46 points as a sophomore, 41 points as a junior and 50 points as a senior.
Brooke Bingham is another native of the Tar Heel State, hailing from Laurel Springs. She enrolled in January and stands 5-9. Bingham has been playing soccer on the club level since she was 12 years old but did not play high school soccer, practicing with a boys' team instead. She is a veteran of the U.S. Youth Soccer ODP program, being included on rosters and called into camps at the U18 and U19 levels since late 2014.
Sam DeSantis attended Carolina as a freshman in 2016-17 and is being added to the roster as a goalkeeper in the fall. She was a Dean's List student at Carolina as a freshman, earning a 3.94 grade point average while majoring in information science and mathematics. DeSantis stands 5-7 and played four years of soccer at Saint Stephens High School in her hometown of Hickory, N.C. She was an All-State and All-Conference honoree in high school while serving as the team captain.
Emily Fox enrolled at Carolina in the spring semester 2017 and is a long-tenured member of U.S. women's soccer youth national teams. Fox stands 5-5 and is a native of Ashburn, Va. Fox attended Stone Bridge High School where she played one year of varsity soccer before concentrating on ODP and youth national team soccer. She earned membership on the U.S. U20 women's national team beginning in 2015 and still maintains membership on the team, currently as team captain. She was a member of the U.S. team which participated in the U20 World Cup in Papua, New Guinea in November 2016. Her UNC teammates Jessie Scarpa and Taylor Otto were also members of that squad. Fox was named to the Best XI Team at right defender at the 2015 CONCACAF Championships in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
Alea Hyatt joined the Tar Heels in January 2017 from the West Coast where she attended Santa Barbara High School in California. An athletic training major, Hyatt stands 5-9 and has a brother, Colin, who plays soccer at Stanford. She played soccer in high school and was also a kicker on the football team. Hyatt played for both the Eagles Soccer Club and Surf Soccer Club, was part of the Olympic Development Program and a U18 U.S. Women's National Team member. She is a lifelong native of Santa Barbara, Calif.
Alessia Russo stands 5-9 and joins the Tar Heels from her hometown of Maidstone, Kent, England. She is an alumna of St. Simon Stock Catholic School where she excelled in soccer, cross country, track and field, cricket and netball. Russo currently plays for Brighton and Hove Albion WFC in the English Women's Super League and for the England U19 Team. She has played for England since the U15 level and has earned 50 caps and scored 23 goals overall. Russo played for the England U17 side in the FIFA World Cup in Amman, Jordan in October 2016.
Laura Sparling is another local player for the Tar Heels who will enroll in August. She stands 5-5 and is a native of Chapel Hill, N.C. Sparling attended Carrboro High School from 2014-17, where she played midfield and forward on the women's soccer squad, starting all four years. She led Carrboro High School to three straight NCHSAA 2A state title-winning teams from 2015-17. She notched the game-winning goal in the state championship game as a senior when she was tapped for the All-Conference, All-Region and All-State honor squads. Despite being injured her junior year, she finished her high school career with 19 goals and 27 assists.
Sydney Spruill enrolled at Carolina in January 2017 and is majoring in communications. Standing 5-5 tall, Spruill is a native of Greenville, N.C., where she attended Rose High School. An accomplished youth soccer and volleyball player, she spent eight years on CASL, PGSA, Orlando City and Concorde Fire club soccer squads. She played one year of high school soccer at Rose in the spring of 2016, scoring 23 goals and adding 20 assists while being named first-team All-State.
Lotte Wubben-Moy will enroll at Carolina in August 2017. Standing 5-10 tall, she is a 2017 alumna of Stoke Newington School and Sixthform in London, England, where she competed in soccer, netball and track and field. Wubben-Moy is an accomplished veteran of English youth national teams. She captained the English side in the 2016 U17 Women's U17 World Cup in Amman, Jordan. Wubben-Moy also has garnered two FA Youth Cup wins with Arsenal Ladies at the U17 level. Overall, she has made 12 appearances with the Arsenal Ladies within in the space of three seasons with her debut coming at the age of 16. Wubben-Moy has 35 international appearances for England from the U15-U19 levels, recording three goals and five assists. She primarily plays a center back spot for her club and national teams.

DORRANCE EARNS 800TH WIN: On Sunday, October 9, 2016, the University of North Carolina women's soccer program achieved a pair of monumental milestones in program history - the program's 800th victory in its 900th game.
The North Carolina women's soccer program began as a varsity team in the 1979 season. The Tar Heels played the program's 900th game on October 9 when Carolina rallied past Wake Forest 2-1 at Fetzer Field.
In the process, head coach Anson Dorrance earned his 800th career victory as the head coach of the Tar Heels as the symmetry lined up perfectly.

CONGRATULATIONS COACH DORRANCE: North Carolina head coach Anson Dorrance is now in his 39th season as the Tar Heel head coach in 2017. He also served as the head coach of the UNC men's soccer program from 1977 through 1988. So this fall marks his 41st season as a UNC head coach, including 12 seasons in which he coached two sports at once.
Dorrance achieved his 800th career victory as the women's head coach on Sunday, October 9 when the Tar Heels beat Wake Forest 2-1 at Fetzer Field. In his 39 years, his teams have gone 810-67-36. His men's teams at Carolina achieved a record of 172-65-21 in his 12 seasons at the helm.
Altogether, Dorrance's teams have won 982 games in his remarkable coaching tenure in Chapel Hill.

FOLLOW CAROLINA WOMEN'S SOCCER ON TWITTER: Fans are able to follow Carolina women's soccer through Twitter updates at both @ncwomenssoccer (athletic communications office account) and @uncwomenssoccer (players and staff account). Fans can check during the week, in-game and post-game for live news, videos and links to all your favorite Carolina soccer news. Carolina's Twitter sites have now combined to pass the 37,600-follower mark, the most in college women's soccer. @uncwomenssoccer has over 22,700 followers while @ncwomenssoccer has over 14,900 followers.

JUST FOUR TIMES SINCE 1986: Carolina's 3-0 setback at USC on September 11, 2016 marked only the fourth loss for the Tar Heels by a margin of more than one goal since the 1985 season.
Carolina has played 766 games since the end of the 1985 season, losing by more than one goal just four times.
That streak traces back to the opening game of the 1986 season against George Mason, a 3-3 tie.
After losing to George Mason 2-0 in the 1985 NCAA Tournament championship game, the Tar Heels went 25 years without losing a game by more than one goal.
Since 1986, UNC has only lost four games by more than one goal. The Tar Heels fell to Notre Dame 4-1 on November 20, 2010, lost to Virginia 2-0 on October 20, 2013, was upended by Virginia 2-0 on November 7, 2014 and lost to USC 3-0 on September 11, 2016.

DID YOU KNOW...: North Carolina would have to lose its next 753 games in a row for head coach Anson Dorrance to have a .500 coaching winning percentage in his career at the helm of the Tar Heels.
UNC enters this Friday's game versus UCF with an all-time record of 810-67-36. Dorrance has coached the Tar Heels in all 913 of their games.

THE?ALL-TIME?RECORD: UNC heads into its match against UCF with a record of 810-67-36 overall, a winning percentage of .907. The Tar Heels have an all-time winning percentage of .904 in NCAA Tournament games.

AVERAGE?RECORD?PER?YEAR: UNC's average record per year in its 39 years of soccer is 21.3 wins per year, 1.7 losses per year and 0.9 ties per year.

SHUTOUTS?ARE?INFREQUENT: UNC's 1-0 loss against West Virginia on December 2, 2016 was only the 52nd time the Tar Heels have been shut out in their history. Altogether, UNC has played 913 matches since 1979.
The Tar Heels have been blanked on the scoreboard in only 0.56 percent of the games they have played in during their history. Carolina has suffered 39 shutout losses in its history. The Tar Heels have also played 13 scoreless ties in their history history.
Only five times in UNC history have the Tar Heels been shutout in back-to-back games in the same season.
That happened against Portland and Florida in 2012, against Notre Dame and Florida State in 2013, against UCLA and Pepperdine in 2014, against Florida State and Duke in 2015 and against USC and NC State in 2016.

17?ACADEMIC?ALL-AMERICAS?SINCE 2005: On November 26, 2013, UNC junior defender Caitlin Ball of Chapel Hill, N.C. was chosen as a first-team Academic All-America by Capital One and the College Sports Information Directors of America.
UNC has had 17 selections for the Capital One Academic All-America first, second and third teams since 2005.
Carolina also had seven women's soccer players named Academic All-Americas from 1983-2001, giving the program 24 selections since the Academic All-America program began in 1983. Academic All-Americas were chosen for women's soccer in an at-large pool from 1983-2004. In 2005, a specific women's soccer academic All-America Team was selected by Capital One and CoSIDA.
Following is a summary of the 24 selections since 1983.
•1983 - Lauren Gregg, third team.
•1985 - Beth Huber, second team.
•1993 - Shelley Finger, second team.
•1994 - Shelley Finger, first team.
•1998 - Cindy Parlow, first team.
•2000 - Lindsay Stoecker, second team.
•2001 - Kristin DePlatchett, first team.
•2005 - Heather O'Reilly, second team; Lindsay Tarpley, third team.
•2006 - Heather O'Reilly, first team (Academic All-America of the Year); Anna Rodenbough, second team; Yael Averbuch, third team.
•2007 - Yael Averbuch, second team; Anna Rodenbough, second team.
•2008 - Kristi Eveland, first team; Yael Averbuch, first team (Academic All-America of the Year); Anna Rodenbough, second team.
•2009 - Kristi Eveland, first team; Whitney Engen, second team; Ashlyn Harris, second team.
•2011 - Adelaide Gay, first team; Amber Brooks, second team.
•2012 - Amber Brooks, first team.
•2013 - Caitlin Ball, first team.

O'REILLY JUST SECOND TAR HEEL EVER INDUCTED IN CoSIDA ACADEMIC AMERICA HALL OF FAME: Four distinguished professionals, all standout collegiate scholar-athletes, were inducted as the newest members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America® Hall of Fame. This year's class of inductees includes University of North Carolina women's soccer standout Heather O'Reilly (2003-06) who led Carolina to a pair of NCAA championships and was the CoSIDA Women's Soccer Academic All-America of the Year in her senior season in 2006.
Created in 1988, the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame recognizes former Academic All-Americas who received a college degree at least 10 years ago, have achieved lifetime success in their professional careers, and are committed to philanthropic causes.
This year's 2017 inductees into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame were:
• Heather O'Reilly, University of North Carolina women's soccer standout who helped UNC earn two NCAA titles and went on to international success with the U.S. National Team, winning three Olympic gold medals and a FIFA world championship;
• Dr. Stacey Johnson, a two-time national champion and four-time All-America fencer at San Jose State University and a 1980 U.S. Olympian;
• Rachel Price Bell, PhD, an All-America volleyball standout at the University of North Alabama who was twice selected as the top female student-athlete in the Gulf South Conference;
• Stephanie White, Purdue University women's basketball standout and the 1999 national Player of the Year when she led the Boilermakers to the 1999 NCAA championship who went on to star in the WNBA before turning to coaching professionally and at the collegiate level.
The four new inductees joined the prestigious 142-members Academic All-America® Hall of Fame this June. They were inducted into the Academic All-America® Hall of Fame at CoSIDA's annual convention in Orlando, Fla. on Sunday, June 11th during the organization's annual Hall of Fame Ceremony at the World Center Marriott. The CoSIDA convention was held in conjunction with the annual National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and Affiliates Convention for a fifth straight year.
O'Reilly became the second UNC student-athlete to be inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame, joining Tar Heel swimmer Sue Walsh, Class of 1984, who was inducted in 2002.
"In our 2017 Academic All-America Hall of Fame class, we recognize four women who made major contributions to their respective collegiate sports and who continue to make significant impact in their professional careers," said Andy Seeley, UCF Assistant Athletic Director for Communications and current CoSIDA president. "As undergraduates, they excelled at the highest levels in their respective sports while also being committed to obtaining extraordinary academic success."
The June 11th Hall of Fame induction ceremony featured ESPN's Rece Davis as emcee and legendary broadcaster Dick Enberg, the ambassador of the Academic All-America® program, as special guest and presenter. At that time, the 2016 Dick Enberg Award recipient, former Ole Miss chancellor Dr. Robert Khayat, was also recognized.
"We are so pleased to announce this year's Academic All-America Hall of Fame class. For so many of us involved with CoSIDA, this annual induction celebration has truly become a special evening honoring amazing individuals with wonderful and heartfelt stories of great accomplishment as both students, athletes and citizens within their communities," noted Bernie Cafarelli, American Athletic Conference Associate Commissioner for Communications/External Affairs and chair of the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame committee.
"Their stories have a lasting impact on those who attend the event each year. On behalf of the Academic All-America committee, we are proud to welcome another distinguished group into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame."
The biographical information on this year's Academic All-America® Hall of Fame induction class is listed below.
Heather O'Reilly – University of North Carolina, '07, Soccer
A 2015 World Cup champion as a midfielder for the U.S. National Women's Soccer Team. Three-time USA Olympic gold medalist (2004, 2008, 20012). Three-time World Cup medalist. Two-time NCAA national champion while starring for the University of North Carolina soccer program.
That is the illustrious resume of O'Reilly, who began her international soccer career at the early age of 17 in 2002. That year, Heather earned her first cap with the United States Women's National Team (WSWNT). In 2004, during her sophomore year at North Carolina, her soccer dreams became a reality when she was named the youngest member of the 2004 Olympic Team.
O'Reilly was an education major at UNC, where she played forward for the Tar Heels from 2003 through 2006. She appeared in 97 matches, scoring 59 goals and assisting on 49 others. She helped leAd the powerhouse UNC squad to national championships in 2003 and 2006. In her final three seasons, she was an All-America first-team selection, following her consensus national freshman of the year honor in 2003. A two-time Academic All-America in 2005 (second team) and 2006 (first team), O'Reilly was awarded a distinctive NCAA Today's Top VIII Award following her senior year. In 2006, O'Reilly's No. 20 jersey was retired by the UNC program,
O'Reilly is one of the world's most capped soccer stars with over 200 international appearances to her name. She is also the eighth most capped player in USWNT history.
In September of 2016, O'Reilly announced her retirement from the Women's National Team after 15 years, and retired on September 15 after a friendly match against Thailand, held in Columbus, Ohio.
She signed with the Arsenal Ladies Football Club in London on January 18th, 2017. O'Reilly previously played professionally for FC Kansas City and Boston Breakers of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS).

KINGMAN CHOSEN FOR ORDER OF GOLDEN FLEECE: Two Tar Heel student-athletes – Ezra Baeli-Wang and Annie Kingman – were among the 29 most recent inductees to UNC's Order of the Golden Fleece, the University's oldest honorary society. This class was tapped in a public ceremony on March 31, 2017 and honored again in a private ceremony on April 7.
Baeli-Wang was a senior from Hillsborough, N.J., and a member of the men's fencing team. He was a peace, war & defense and Asian studies double major with a minor in creative writing.
Kingman was a junior from Woodside, Calif., and a member of the women's soccer team. She is majoring in economics with minors in English and history.
Both are members of UNC's Student-Athlete Advisory Counci – Baeli-Wang currently serves as co-president – and have excelled academically and athletically at UNC.
The following citations were read for Baeli-Wang and Kingman at the tapping ceremony in announcing and explaining their nomination for the prestigious society:
Ezra Baeli- Wang
For his leadership as a student-athlete and advocacy for fairness, inclusion and diversity in athletics. Ezra served as president of the Student Athlete Advisory Council, representative on the UNC Faculty Athletics Committee, and captain of the fencing team. Ezra organized an effort among student athletes from multiple North Carolina institutions to write and petition the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal House Bill 2.
Annie Kingman
For her leadership as a student-athlete and her work within the Honor Court. A midfielder on the women's soccer team, Annie demonstrates relentless hard work and pursuit of excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Annie was named to the All-ACC Academic team, All-ACC Tournament team and finished second on the team in points. Annie actively works to enforce and protect the University's Honor Code.
Members are selected based upon service to Carolina, as reflected in scholarship, motivation, creativity, loyalty, and leadership in academic and extracurricular pursuits. Founded in 1904 to unite student leaders at UNC, inductees are generally seniors but juniors, graduate students, faculty and alumni also eligible for membership.

TAR HEELS IN THE ACC: Parity arrived in the Atlantic Coast Conference many years ago and yet the Tar Heels have lost only 26 ACC regular-season games since league play began in 1987.
The Tar Heels are 191-26-9 all-time in ACC regular-season matches.
UNC has averaged just 0.87 ACC regular-season losses a year in the 30 years of league play.
In the middle of the 2015 season, the Tar Heels had a three-match ACC regular-season losing streak, the first time that has happened in history.
Prior to that streak, UNC had fallen in back-to-back ACC games just four times in history.
The four occasions were September 18, 2013 home versus Notre Dame (0-1) and September 21, 2013 at Florida State (0-1); October 23, 2011 at Virginia Tech (0-1) and October 27, 2011 at Maryland (1-2 in overtime); October 22, 2009 at Florida State (2-3 in two overtimes) and October 25, 2009 at Miami (0-1); October 17, 2000 at Florida State (2-3 in double overtime) and October 27, 2000 at Wake Forest (0-1).
Remarkably, in four of the past seven seasons, UNC had a losing record in ACC play at one point in the season. The Tar Heels started the 2010 season 0-1 in the ACC, the 2012 season 1-2-1 in the ACC, the 2013 season 1-2 in the ACC and the 2016 season 0-1 in the ACC. The only other time in history when UNC had a losing record in ACC regular-season play in its history was 2002 when the Tar Heels lost their season opener to NC State.

14 TAR HEELS ON OPENING DAY ROSTERS FOR 2017 NWSL SEASON: All the 2017 clubs in the National Women's Soccer League have announced their 20-player rosters for the upcoming campaign which began on April 12, 2017.
The opening day rosters included 14 alumnae from Coach Anson Dorrance's University of North Carolina women's soccer program.
All the Tar Heels are returnees to the NWSL in 2017 with the exception of Summer Green, who sat out 2016 with a knee injury, and Cameron Castleberry, a senior on UNC's 2016 NCAA semifinalist team, who begins her rookie season in the league.
Following is a list of all 14 Tar Heels in the league in 2017 with their respective teams, positions and the final year in which they played at UNC.
Boston Breakers: Brooke Elby (Defender, UNC '14)
Chicago Red Stars: Summer Green (Forward, UNC '15)
Houston Dash: Amber Brooks (Midfielder, UNC '12); Kealia Ohai (Forward, UNC '13)
FC Kansas City: Yael Averbuch (Defender, UNC '08); Katie Bowen (Defender, UNC '08); Alexa Newfield (Midfielder, UNC '15)
NC Courage: Jessica McDonald (Forward, UNC '09)
Orlando Pride: Ashlyn Harris (Goalkeeper, UNC '09)
Portland Thorns: Meghan Klingenberg (Defender, UNC '10); Allie Long (Midfielder, UNC '08); Tobin Heath (Forward, UNC '09); Meg Morris (Defender, UNC '13)
Washington Spirit: Cameron Castleberry (Midfielder, UNC '16)

A RARE HOME LOSS FOR CAROLINA: Carolina's 1-0 loss against NC State at Fetzer Field on September 16, 2016 was just the 27th home loss in Carolina history and just the second home loss in the past two seasons. Carolina went 8-1 at home in 2015 and was 10-1 at home in 2016 after a 1-0 win over Clemson on November 20, 2016. The loss to the Wolfpack was the first for Carolina in 22 home meetings against NC State. It was the first shutout loss for Carolina at home since it fell against Duke on October 16, 2015 - a 1-0 loss to the Blue Devils.

IN THE ACC REGULAR SEASON: In its last 33 ACC regular season games, UNC is 25-5-3.
The Tar Heels had a 17-game ACC unbeaten streak ended at Louisville on October 8, 2015 that had stretched from late in the 2013 season.
The Tar Heels won their last three ACC games of the 2013 season, went 9-0-1 in 2014 and finished 7-3 in the conference in 2015.
Prior to falling at Louisville last year, Carolina's last ACC regular season loss had come on October 20, 2013 when Virginia beat the Tar Heels 2-0 at Fetzer Field.
Carolina's three ACC regular season losses in 2015, however, were not a first. UNC fell three times in ACC play in 2000, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013. In three of those five seasons UNC ended up winning the NCAA championship (2000, 2009, 2012).
Nevertheless, 25 wins, just five losses and three ties in UNC's last 33 regular season ACC games is a remarkable accomplishment given the parity in the league at this point.

HEATH NAMED 2016 U.S. SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR: University of North Carolina women's soccer alumnae Tobin Heath and Crystal Dunn finished first and second in the 2016 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year voting, respectively, as announced December 13, 2016 by United States Soccer.
Heath, who has long been a fan favorite for her entertaining style of play and dynamic work with the ball, wins the award for the first time in her ninth year with the U.S. Women's National Team. She won after earning 40 percent of the vote while Crystal Dunn came in second with 34 percent.
"It's obviously an honor to win an award like this, especially when you look at the list of amazing players who have won it before," Heath said. "This year was a difficult one for our team, but overall we played some great soccer so it's humbling to be recognized individually. I'm just proud to be in the company of all the great players that were nominated and all of the players that played for the USA this year. I couldn't have accomplished anything without the support of my teammates and my coaches, and while it was a fun year for me personally, I'm excited not only about my own future, but also the future of this team as I know we have a lot more room to grow and many more goals to achieve."
This year saw the 28-year-old Basking Ridge, N.J. native elevate her game to an even higher level. Heath played in 22 games, scoring six goals while recording eight assists tying for second-most on the team with Dunn. Both numbers were career bests for Heath, who this year competed in her fifth world championship for the USA. She played 1,747 minutes in 2016, good for second-best on the team.
Heath was one of the USA's best players at the 2016 Olympic Games where she recorded two assists. In her fourth season playing for the National Women' Soccer League's Portland Thorns FC, Heath finished the year with 10 assists - a new league record - in only 14 appearances for the club - while helping PTFC to the regular season title. She was named to the NWSL Best XI.
A new voting process was put into place in 2014. Votes are collected from respective National Team coaches, National Team players who have earned a cap in 2016, American soccer league (MLS, NASL and NWSL) head coaches, select media members, former players and administrators.
The U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year has been awarded since 1985, when midfielder Sharon Remer earned the first Female Athlete of the Year honor. The Young Female Player of the Year honor was first awarded in 1998, with Tar Heel alumna Cindy Parlow earning the honor.
Another Tar Heel alumna, Lucy Bronze, who played for Carolina on its 2009 NCAA championship team, recently was honored by the English Football Association. An England national team defender, Bronze picked up the FA WSL 1 Players' Player of the Year recognition.

EIGHT FORMER TAR HEELS COMPETE AT 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES: Eight former Tar Heel players were part of the Olympic Games Tournament in Brazil this past summer.
The full U.S. squad included five players from the University of North Carolina. Two former Tar Heels were also named as alternates for the team. The New Zealand team featured recent Carolina graduate Katie Bowen, who also was on the roster for the Football Ferns at the 2015 World Cup in Canada.
Full team members in 2016 were defenders Whitney Engen and Meghan Klingenberg, midfielders Allie Long and Tobin Heath and forward Crystal Dunn. Alternates, who traveled to Rio de Janeiro and practiced with the team were midfielder Heather O'Reilly and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris.
O'Reilly was a member of U.S. Olympic Teams which won gold medals in 2004 in Athens, 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London. Heath was a member of both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Teams. Klingenberg was an alternate on the team in London. Engen, Long and Harris all traveled to Olympic Games for the first time in their Team USA careers.
Altogether, UNC has had 30 selections to the full rosters for U.S. Olympic Teams in the six Games, beginning in 1996. The U.S. won gold medals in 1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012 and the silver medal in 2000. Tar Heels have also competed on Olympic rosters over the years for Canada and New Zealand.
North Carolina led all universities in representation on this year's team with five full roster players and two alternates. Virginia had two on the full roster and one alternate. Penn State and Stanford had two players each on the team. UCLA had one full roster player and one alternate. Washington, Santa Clara, Portland, California and Rutgers had one player each. Lindsey Horan who went straight to the professional ranks in 2012 after her high school career, also competed for the U.S. side. She had signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Tar Heels before turning pro straight out of high school.

RALLYING FROM A TWO-GOAL DEFICIT: North Carolina rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit to defeat Notre Dame on September 20, 2014 in South Bend, Ind.
The Tar Heels came back from a two-goal deficit to win for the first time since September 1, 2006 when UNC trailed Connecticut 2-0 at halftime but rallied to win 3-2 in regulation at New Haven, Conn.
Carolina has played 911 matches in its history. There have been only 24 games in that time in which the Tar Heels have ever trailed by more than a single goal in a game.
The Notre Dame comeback marked the fifth time UNC has rallied from two goals down to win. The Tar Heels have accomplished the feat against Santa Clara in 1993, Duke in 1999, NC State in 2003, Connecticut in 2006 and Notre Dame in 2014.

TAR HEELS IN ACC OPENERS: North Carolina lost to NC State 1-0 in its ACC opener for the 2016 season on September 16, 2016. It was only the fourth loss in an ACC opener for the Tar Heels in their history. The Tar Heels are 24-4-1 overall in conference openers after the loss to the Wolfpack.
Carolina's losses in ACC openers came at home against NC State 1-0 on September 16, 2016, at Maryland 2-1 on September 13, 2012, against Boston College in Chapel Hill 3-2 on September 23, 2010 and at NC State 2-1 on September 10, 2002. UNC also tied its ACC opener at NC State 1-1 on September 20, 1988.

TAR HEELS IN THE CAROLINA NIKE CLASSIC: On the opening weekend of the 2016 season, Carolina swept a pair of games in the Carolina Nike Classic as the Tar Heels beat UCF 2-0 and Charlotte 3-0.
UNC has now hosted a version of the Carolina Nike Classic, under the current name or the names of other title sponsors, since the initial event in 1980 a total of 26 times.
Carolina has a 47-3-2 record in its early season tournaments at home. The only losses were to Penn State in 1999, Notre Dame in 2008 and Stanford in 2014 with ties against Stanford in 2010 and Florida in 2012.
Carolina played a single game to open the 2017 weekend against Duke in Cary, N.C.

CAROLINA?IN?SEASON?OPENERS: Carolina has a record of 32-5-2 all-time in season openers after beating UCF 2-0 in Chapel Hill to open the 2016 campaign. The only losses were in 1983 vs. Connecticut (road), 2006 vs.Texas A&M (road), 2007 vs. South Carolina (home), 2012 vs. Portland (road) and 2014 vs. Stanford (home) and there were ties in 1985 vs. George Mason (home) and 2002 vs. Nebraska (road).

UNC?IN?HOME?OPENERS: North Carolina has a record of 34-2-3 in home openers all-time after beating Duke 2-1 in overtime on August 18, 2017.
The only losses came to South Carolina 1-0 in 2007 and to Stanford 1-0 in overtime in 2014 and the ties were against George Mason in 1985, against Stanford in 2010 and against Florida in 2012.