2016 Women's Soccer Roster
Firstenberg, Sarah Ashley
Jersey Number 54
Sarah Ashley Firstenberg
- Position:
- Forward
- Height:
- 5-5
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Irving, Texas
- High School:
- Episcopal School of Dallas
Bio
SARAH ASHLEY FIRSTENBERG
Anson on Sarah Ashley: Incredibly hard working player for us. We can play her in multiple positions. She will also challenge to start. Her challenge will be to beat out the incredibly talented freshman class that is coming in. What Sarah Ashley always gives us is her defensive work rate is second to none. She will play significant minutes if not start. She will also contribute to goal scoring. She’s very good at beating people off the dribble. Now her challenge is to have an impact either creating goals or scoring them. But her defensive presence as a front runner is significant. She’s also very good at getting behind defenses off the ball. That’s another quality she will extend to us this fall.
Senior Year (2016): Projected starter at right spot in UNC’s attacking midfield unit.
Junior Year (2015): 2015-16 ACC Academic Honor Roll selection • key player off the bench in the forward line • with Tar Heels fighting through injury issues, she started at left midfield in the 2015 NCAA Tournament • played a key role in NCAA win over Liberty, playing 88 minutes, a career high • started five games last season while playing in all 21 games • scored the third goal of her career and it proved to be the game-winning tally versus USC on September 6 • tallied in the 68th minute of play on a header to break a 1-1 tie • she was fouled in the box against Fresno State on the season-opening weekend, earning a penalty kick that was converted by Annie Kingman.
Sophomore Year (2014): Key player off the bench in the forward line • played in all 20 games, totaling 365 minutes • recorded her first career goal on a soaring header with two minutes remaining in the first half in Carolina’s 3-2 win over Virginia Tech • came back six days later and scored a spectacular goal verus Wake Forest to give UNC a 3-0 lead in that game • she assisted on Megan Buckingham’s game-winning goal in the 74th minute versus Ohio State • had the primary assist on Annie Kingman’s game-tying goal in a 1-1 tie against #2 Florida State • was named a CS360 Primetime Performer of the Week on October 7 following VT game.
Freshman Year (2013): Played in five games for the Tar Heels • started against Duke • played a season-high 15 minutes against Kennesaw State • totaled 43 minutes overall on the pitch during the course of the season.
High School: Graduated from the Episcopal School in Dallas, Texas on May 26, 2013 • played four years of varsity soccer and two years of varsity volleyball there • team captain in soccer as a senior • led team in scoring every year • an All-SPC and All-North Zone Team honoree • led team to fourth place finish in SPC in 2013 • as a midfielder on the soccer team she scored nine goals as a freshman, 15 goals as a sophomore, 14 goals as a junior and then scored 36 goals as a senior playing as a forward • member of National Honor Society • honor roll student every year.
Club: Competed for FC Dallas ECNL U18 Team.
Personal: Full name is Sarah Ashley Firstenberg • the daughter of Barry Firstenberg and Elva Firstenberg • was born in September 1994 in Bedford, Texas • has one brother, Cory, 24, and two sisters, Keri Prestia, 36, and Devin Zukofsky, 34 • communications studies major.
Sarah Ashley Firstenberg’s Career Statistics
Year GP/GS MIN SH G A PTS
2013 5/1 43 0 0 0 0
2014 20/0 365 10 2 2 6
2015 21/5 698 16 1 0 2
Totals 46/6 1106 10 3 2 8
Sarah Ashley Firstenberg’s Career Scoring Games
Date Opponent G A PTS
8/24/2014 Ohio State 0 1 1
9/3/2014 Virginia Tech 1 0 2
9/9/2014 Wake Forest 1 0 2
10/23/2014 Florida State 0 1 1
2014 TOTALS 2 2 6
9/6/2015 USC 1 0 2
2015 TOTALS 1 0 2
CAREER TOTALS 3 2 8
Anson on Sarah Ashley: Incredibly hard working player for us. We can play her in multiple positions. She will also challenge to start. Her challenge will be to beat out the incredibly talented freshman class that is coming in. What Sarah Ashley always gives us is her defensive work rate is second to none. She will play significant minutes if not start. She will also contribute to goal scoring. She’s very good at beating people off the dribble. Now her challenge is to have an impact either creating goals or scoring them. But her defensive presence as a front runner is significant. She’s also very good at getting behind defenses off the ball. That’s another quality she will extend to us this fall.
Senior Year (2016): Projected starter at right spot in UNC’s attacking midfield unit.
Junior Year (2015): 2015-16 ACC Academic Honor Roll selection • key player off the bench in the forward line • with Tar Heels fighting through injury issues, she started at left midfield in the 2015 NCAA Tournament • played a key role in NCAA win over Liberty, playing 88 minutes, a career high • started five games last season while playing in all 21 games • scored the third goal of her career and it proved to be the game-winning tally versus USC on September 6 • tallied in the 68th minute of play on a header to break a 1-1 tie • she was fouled in the box against Fresno State on the season-opening weekend, earning a penalty kick that was converted by Annie Kingman.
Sophomore Year (2014): Key player off the bench in the forward line • played in all 20 games, totaling 365 minutes • recorded her first career goal on a soaring header with two minutes remaining in the first half in Carolina’s 3-2 win over Virginia Tech • came back six days later and scored a spectacular goal verus Wake Forest to give UNC a 3-0 lead in that game • she assisted on Megan Buckingham’s game-winning goal in the 74th minute versus Ohio State • had the primary assist on Annie Kingman’s game-tying goal in a 1-1 tie against #2 Florida State • was named a CS360 Primetime Performer of the Week on October 7 following VT game.
Freshman Year (2013): Played in five games for the Tar Heels • started against Duke • played a season-high 15 minutes against Kennesaw State • totaled 43 minutes overall on the pitch during the course of the season.
High School: Graduated from the Episcopal School in Dallas, Texas on May 26, 2013 • played four years of varsity soccer and two years of varsity volleyball there • team captain in soccer as a senior • led team in scoring every year • an All-SPC and All-North Zone Team honoree • led team to fourth place finish in SPC in 2013 • as a midfielder on the soccer team she scored nine goals as a freshman, 15 goals as a sophomore, 14 goals as a junior and then scored 36 goals as a senior playing as a forward • member of National Honor Society • honor roll student every year.
Club: Competed for FC Dallas ECNL U18 Team.
Personal: Full name is Sarah Ashley Firstenberg • the daughter of Barry Firstenberg and Elva Firstenberg • was born in September 1994 in Bedford, Texas • has one brother, Cory, 24, and two sisters, Keri Prestia, 36, and Devin Zukofsky, 34 • communications studies major.
Sarah Ashley Firstenberg’s Career Statistics
Year GP/GS MIN SH G A PTS
2013 5/1 43 0 0 0 0
2014 20/0 365 10 2 2 6
2015 21/5 698 16 1 0 2
Totals 46/6 1106 10 3 2 8
Sarah Ashley Firstenberg’s Career Scoring Games
Date Opponent G A PTS
8/24/2014 Ohio State 0 1 1
9/3/2014 Virginia Tech 1 0 2
9/9/2014 Wake Forest 1 0 2
10/23/2014 Florida State 0 1 1
2014 TOTALS 2 2 6
9/6/2015 USC 1 0 2
2015 TOTALS 1 0 2
CAREER TOTALS 3 2 8
UNC Field Hockey: Tar Heels Edge #9 Liberty, 3-1
Monday, September 15
UNC Football: Tar Heels Overpower Richmond, 41-6
Sunday, September 14
UNC Players Press Conference, Post-Richmond
Sunday, September 14
Bill Belichick Post-Richmond Press Conference, 9/13/25
Sunday, September 14
