University of North Carolina Athletics
Seven Tar Heels Chosen In 2010 WPS Draft
January 15, 2010 | Women's Soccer
Jan. 15, 2010
PHILADELPHIA, PA. - Seven University of North Carolina women's soccer players were chosen Friday in the second annual Women's Professional Soccer Draft held in Philadelphia, Pa. Four of the first eight picks were Tar Heels beginning with Tobin Heath, a senior midfielder, who was taken first overall by the Atlanta Beat. Following Heath was fellow senior Whitney Engen, a defender who was taken with the fourth pick in the draft by the Chicago Red Stars.
To round out the top eight, senior midfielder Nikki Washington and senior forward Casey Nogueira were taken fifth and eighth, respectively, by the Los Angeles Sol. Two more Tar Heels were taken in the second round as redshirt junior forward Jessica McDonald was chosen with the fourth pick, going to the Chicago Red Stars and senior goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris was chosen eighth by Athletica, which is based in St. Louis, Mo.
To finish out the slew of Tar Heels taken in the draft, four-year starter Kristi Eveland, a defender, was taken as the seventh pick in the fourth round by DC Freedom. All six seniors for the Tar Heels helped to solidify the North Carolina dynasty by winning three out of four NCAA championships throughout their careers, while McDonald, a junior college transfer, was a major factor in both national championships during her two years at Chapel Hill.
Heath, who led the star-studded class with three consecutive first-team All-America selections in 2007, 2008 and 2009, is also an active member of the full U.S. National Team who won a 2008 Olympic Gold Medal in Beijing. Heath was recently named by U.S. Soccer as Young Female Athlete of the Year for 2009.
Engen helped to anchor the Tar Heels defense for a second consecutive year after playing forward her first two years, helping limit opponents to 0.44 goals scored per game, while being named first-team All America in 2009. Engen also received the 2009 Honda Sports Award, designating her as the nation's top collegiate female athlete in soccer.
Washington was a three-year starter, who was sidelined for a majority of the past season with a knee injury. In 2008, Washington was named to the first-team All-ACC and All-ACC Tournament teams. She was also a Third-Team Soccer Buzz All-America her junior year.
Nogueira was one of the most decorated Tar Heels in this senior class as she won five national player of the year awards in 2008 while also being named the female athlete of the year in the ACC. She was named a consensus first-team All-America in 2008 and was a second-team All-America in 2009. Nogueira scored the game-winning goals in both the semifinal and championship games of the 2006 NCAA College Cup before turning 18 years old in her freshman season. In five of the six College Cup games she played in, she either had the game-winning goal or assist.
McDonald, the lone junior in this draft class, scored the game-winning goal in the 2009 national championship game against Stanford to help the Tar Heels win their second consecutive National Title. After attending Phoenix College for two years in her home state of Arizona, she transferred to UNC, playing her next two years and playing on NCAA title teams both seasons.
Harris was a major factor in the Tar Heels success this season, holding opponents to under a half goal per game, while also participating in full National Team camps in 2009. Harris has been named to the ACC All-Academic Team in 2008, and in 2009 she was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll. This was her first full-year as a starter after sharing duties with Anna Rodenbough from 2006-08.
Eveland has anchored the Tar Heels defense for four consecutive years at the right back position, tying NCAA records for games played and started in a career. In 2009, she was named as a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, which is given annually to a senior women's soccer player who excels in the following areas--classroom, character, community and competition. Eveland excelled academically, being named ESPN The Magazine first-team Academic All-America for the past two years.
