University of North Carolina Athletics
O'Reilly & Dorrance Sweep Soccer America's Top Awards For 2006 Season
December 13, 2006 | Women's Soccer
Dec. 13, 2006
OAKLAND, CALIF. - Heather O'Reilly's college career at North Carolina ended as it started - with a national championship. On Wednesday she added Soccer America's Player of the Year Award to her resume.
After starting as a freshman on one of the great North Carolina teams in history three years ago, she was the senior leader on a freshman-dominated team that won 27 straight games to claim the Tar Heels' 19th national championship.
With the honor, O'Reilly will now become the 14th player in UNC history to have her jersey number (No. 20) retired by the university after attaining national player of the year honors.
O'Reilly didn't put up the numbers some of the other contenders for Player of the Year honors did - she finished with a respectable 12 goals and 16 assists for 40 points - but she saved the best for last.
O'Reilly scored the insurance goal in Carolina's 2-0 victory over UCLA in the semifinals of the Women's College Cup and chipped the ball over Notre Dame keeper Lauren Karas for the first goal in the Heels' 2-1 victory in the final. She also assisted on freshman Casey Nogeuira's eventual game-winning goal in the win over the Irish.
O'Reilly was not the only Tar Heel honored by Soccer America on Wednesday as Anson Dorrance was named the magazine's National Coach of the Year and sophomore midfielder Yael Averbuch joined O'Reilly as one of Soccer America's MVPs, the equivalent of the magazine's first-team All-America squad. North Carolina was the only school in America to place two players on the Soccer America 11-member MVP unit.
A regular on the U.S. national team since before she enrolled at North Carolina, O'Reilly has admitted that her national team responsibilities distracted her at times, but she says her senior season in Chapel Hill was special.
"It's truly an honor to play for the U.S., of course, to play for your country and score for your country," she said after the NCAA final. "But there's something special about playing for the University of North Carolina - the tradition involved, the dynasty that we're now proving that we're continuing."
O'Reilly, who finished her career with 59 goals overall and 15 in the NCAA Tournament (tied with Mia Hamm for third all-time), says she loved the daily routine of college life spent with her teammates.
"They're your best friends on and off the field," she says. "There's something special about college soccer and the way we train every day after school at 2:30. I haven't found another training environment quite like that."
Soccer America's Women's College Awards
Soccer America Women's Player of the Year Heather O'Reilly (North Carolina)
Soccer America Women's Coach of the Year Anson Dorrance (North Carolina)
Soccer America Women's MVPs
M Yael Averbuch (North Carolina)
D Marian Dalmy (Santa Clara)
M Christina DeMartino (UCLA)
F Kerri Hanks (Notre Dame)
D Ali Krieger (Penn State)
D Stephanie Lopez (Portland)
G Jillian Loyden (Villanova)
D Kasey Moore (Texas)
F Heather O'Reilly (North Carolina)
F Ashlee Pistorious (Texas A&M)
F India Trotter (Florida State)
