2012 UNC Tarheels

Discussion in 'Women's College' started by Soccerhunter, Nov 24, 2011.

  1. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    Yup, it's a business. SC/Ravech apparently does it for all kinds of kids' sports. (Go on line and get one for your kid!) Usually it's for a gag gift at a birthday party or something. Mom purchased this one and by the looks of the photos inserted it may be three years old or so. Somehow it made it to you-tube. However, in this case, the good news is that Jess Holmes is a legitimate quality soccer player --Region I ODP with great speed too. Great potential for the Heels as she develops. I see her as possibly another Brigman story.
     
  2. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sometimes, there are explicit policies not to link player pictures and names, for security reasons. At the school where I coach tennis, that is a policy. If the athlete or her parents want to create a public link on the internet away from our webpages, they can.
     
  3. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006
    It's a policy at most youth teams. I was involved with some youth programs that involved large numbers of young students and we were given pretty explicit guidelines about avoiding linkage to personal information and pictures.

    Look at most Youth teams. If there is a picture and player names, they will almost never tell you which player is which.
     
  4. UNC4EVER

    UNC4EVER Member

    Sep 27, 2007
    Anyone go to the game today? Did we win? How'd we play? Who'd we play?
     
  5. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    I did go to the game, but have not had the chance to get to a computer until now. 4-1 Tarheels vs Davidson. Tarheels controlled the run of play for the whole game.

    Team wise we opened in the traditional formation. Gay/Brigman, Ball, Murray/Gray,Brooks (HM), Premji (AM), McFarlane/Nigro, Cowie,Rich. Interesting that Brigman played at left back for all her time in the game. First goal was by Gray on a rebound.

    Davidson's only shot of the first half resulted from an over the top on the right side after Brigman had taken a run up field and isolated a fast winger on Nigro who was able to get a good cross off for a decent shot to the left side which Satara almost got to but ended up poking into the goal. At about the 40 minute mark Amber took a run up the left side and crossed. The keeper got a hand on it, but Ranee was there to easily finish. The significant sub was Rachel at CF replacing Indi. Then a general bench clearing at the 35 minute mark.

    Second half was back to the starting line-up, except for Nigro/Gray swap left half to left forward. After 15 minutes went to a 4-back dropping Amber to left left outside back, Kat Nigro LCB, Caitlin RCB, and Satara ROB. Goals were a fine header by Amber from 12 out off a great free kick service from Indi, and a solo blast from Indi from 15 out on the edge of the box on the right side.

    Individual observations:

    Cowie: She is a forward...in that she is determined to shoot. She'll see significant time on the front line especially for the first third of the season until the U-20s get back. She has decent technical skills, and is bigger and more forceful than I had imagined. She did, however, get winded earlier than the other forwards. She has good potential as she gets more good coaching.

    Rich: She played spectacularly. If she carries this forward into the fall, she'll have a great senior season and help the Heels tremendously.

    Brigman: She is really coming into her own. Decision-making, speed, and skill are great. It is clear from today's game that Anson is looking for her to take more runs up field and be a disruptive offensive threat.

    Brooks: She was her usual superb self. In particular, her passing is getting really good. When she has Ohai and Horan for targets, she'll be lethal. And "heading-R-Amber"...in the air she is a real force.

    Premji: Except for about 5 minutes in the second half, she played the whole game and looked good. For now, Anson remains committed to her at attacking mid. Whether he remains so after the U20s get hack in mid September, we'll have to see. Against Davidson, she was a force -hustling, aggressively tackling, and profitably redirecting the ball. When she touches the ball, UNC generally keeps possession.

    Nigro: I was glad to get a good look at Kat. She is a very solid player and should get good minutes. She played all over the field today and was competent at forward, midfield, and at a center back. She knows the game and has good technical skills, and hustles. She's not lightning fast, but not slow either.

    McFarlane: She looked good today and seems to have lost some of the helter-skelter approach she had last season. Perhaps not yet the consummate right half, but we can expect to see her frequently, especially coming for energy at needed points.

    Ball: Getting more comfortable at center back. She still lacks the speed and size I'd like to see in a Carolina CB, but we'll have to see... she's doing well.

    Murray: As ususal, great athleticism, but still learning the ropes and needs more technical advancement. She's coming along, however and looked better today than when I'd seen her last. Progress is good!

    Wood: Did well at CF. A real presence. This may very well be her spot.

    Ramirez: Her issue may mostly be confidence. She was alternately very good and sometimes a step slow. Sometimes great decision making, sometimes whoops! She has the basic tools and is good in the air.

    Keeper Corps: Haeberlin is the strongest, especially in terms of judgment and decision making. Anna next. It appears that we will have 5 keepers next fall after Haeberlin gets back from Japan.

    Ohai and Dunn were on the bench but not dressed. Rumor was that with their U-20 commitments they are taking a lighter academic load this spring which does not qualify them to participate with the Tarheels.

    Also noted that Molly Pathman and Natasha Anasi had come down to watch the action....
     
  6. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    Looking at the 2013 Tarheel commits....

    It would appear that now three of them are all from the same Club team. Amanda Rooney, Maggie Bill, and Jess Holmes all play on the U-17 Albertson Fury Elite.

    I'll have to learn more about this Albertson club. (Anybody familiar with it?) It would seem that it is Long Island based, but attracting players from a distance. Jess Holmes lives and goes to school in DeWitt, NY, which is a Syracuse suburb and a 4-hour car trip from central Long Island. Last season Holmes played on the Empire United based in Syracuse.

    Up until last year Maggie Bill (primarily a lacrosse player) played soccer with the HBC Intense team, but this season list listed with the Albertson Fury. (I have no information to think that Amanda Rooney hasn't always been with Albertson.)

    A pretty tight connection with UNC? (Crystal Dunn also was an Albertson player.)
     
  7. NovNewbie

    NovNewbie New Member

    Nov 20, 2011
    poking around Twitter and Rachel Wood tweeted that Gay received a redshirt for next year, looks like there will be 5 goalkeepers
     
  8. jimhalpert

    jimhalpert Member

    Jan 9, 2011
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Is that a good thing? Albertson is not exactly a soccer powerhouse program.
     
  9. Archie's Grandpa

    Oct 25, 2011
    Nashville, TN
    Re: Albertson - They're also sending 3 girls in the next two years to Vandy. Are they a good program?
     
  10. P.J.B.

    P.J.B. Member

    Apr 21, 2002
    Atlanta
    I'll take the bait, granpa. Cari Roccaro 2012 Notre Dame. Yes, they are a good program.
     
  11. Archie's Grandpa

    Oct 25, 2011
    Nashville, TN
    I know it's a little off-topic but one of the great things about ECNL is letting dopey soccer pops like me find out about all of these really good programs - like Albertson, I guess - that we didn't even know existed. And what a treat to watch so many great soccer players from around the country who toiled in relative obscurity for so long. Makes for a better college soccer landscape. Worth every penny, in my humble opinion.
     
  12. jimhalpert

    jimhalpert Member

    Jan 9, 2011
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Don't you think a a team with 3 UNC commits would be better than 31st out of 36 teams in the second tier of the ECNL U-17 standings? I would.
     
  13. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    Which was the implied question when I asked originally if any one knew much about this club. While they have produced some great players in the past couple of years (Dunn and Roccaro), this particular U-17 cohort seems to under perform. On the other hand, my additional implication was that there are "interesting" club recruiting dynamics here. Although I am not sure of the timing, it seems that once Bill and Holmes committed to the Tarheels, they appear on Albertson's roster. While Bill lives in Long Island and her transfer from her previous team (HBC Intense) is not logistically a stretch, I am baffled at Holmes' situation. It is a 4 hour drive from her home near Syracuse to Albertson on Long Island. Has she transferred high schools and her family move? Does she not come to practices and show up for games only? Very confusing.

    In any case, it will be interesting to see how the Albertson U-17s do this spring with the added talent.
     
  14. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006
    Without mentioning clubs, I have seen it in the West where players committ, then go to the "finishing school" of the college coach's choice.

    The theory is that the player will get actual instruction instead of getting thrown into the mix-master of showcases and such.

    Some clubs have two top level teams. One will do the showcases and National stuff and play maybe 3 games a week, and one will play only one game or so a week, but have many more practices. Often the players who know where they are going play for the second team.
     
  15. multisport

    multisport Member

    Nov 9, 2008
    Cliveworshipper is spot on with a lot of trends in the West. Once the team is past U-15 or U-16 the recruiting is done and it is about player development.
    Colorado Rush had players from as far away as the western slope here, which is over 2 mountain ranges. These players would do technical skills practice in their home towns during the week and come to Denver and play all weekend with the team. One player who was going to be a GK intentionally went to a second, still high quality team to get more action. Sometimes a player wants to develop more defensively and that second team will put them on the back line. And sometimes their new to be college coaches want a particular development with preferred staff or other players. Showcase is done and it is all about developing for the college game.
     
  16. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    Thanks, CW and Multi. I had not heard of the "finishing school" concept before.
     
  17. soccerpop 13

    soccerpop 13 Member

    Aug 27, 2010
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Regarding Albertson Fury, it is hard to imagine how a team from a pretty good club with 3 future UNC players and 2 future Vanderbilt players could be at or near the bottom of the ECNL B bracket. I'm not sure where the disconnect is here, but it's a very fair question to ask why this team is performing so dismally.

    Regarding the finishing school notion, that may be taking place some at the U18 level, but I don't see it happening significantly around the country in lower years. I've got a U17 playing in the A bracket and we haven't seen any of those teams farming out their players or taking on projects. The competition is damn tough through U-17. I do think that the competition at the U18 level gets watered down a bit, as many of those teams are depleted by earlier graduating players due to the use of birth years rather than school years in the girls game.
     
  18. P.J.B.

    P.J.B. Member

    Apr 21, 2002
    Atlanta
    Yes, they are dismal. Tell us your daughters name soccer pops - will we be seeing her on the full national team soon?
     
  19. jimhalpert

    jimhalpert Member

    Jan 9, 2011
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Weak response to a good question. When you have no pertinent facts, you attack another poster's kid. Pretty sharp, PJB.
     
  20. P.J.B.

    P.J.B. Member

    Apr 21, 2002
    Atlanta
    Ok, Jim Halpert - welcome. And what is your take on this discussion about the team with 3 UNC and Vandy recruits? Do you follow ECNL? UNC? Are you familiar with the recruits you were speaking about on the Albertson squad? Would like to try to understand the context for the question you were posing earlier, so we can engage more thoughtfully.
     
  21. U-45

    U-45 New Member

    Aug 22, 2011
    Albertson Fury U-18 team is very strong. My daughter's team has played against them a few times over the years. Athletic and well coached (by Independence head coach Paul Riley). Not sure about the club's other age groups.
     
  22. SoccaMommaDrama

    SoccaMommaDrama New Member

    Aug 19, 2010
    Club:
    --other--
    I have a bit of insight to offer on this topic. Please note that in reviewing the ECNL Schedule, the majority of teams competed in their games from August 2011 through February 2012. They have completed their scheduled games. In Albertson's case - specifically speaking of the team in question - aside from their ECNL Season Opener against local rival East Meadow (a top-ranked team nationally), this team had only played in one ECNL event prior to March. In other words, their ECNL season is just starting. So, even though a quick glance puts them at the bottom of the flight, that's because they haven't played their games yet.

    Their first game was 2-1 vs. East Meadow. All other games have been ties....against higher-ranked opponents, some of which are from the A Flight. This same team won the top bracket of Disney last year, and this year, they only lost to Fukushima, that is, the Japanese Youth National Team. At WAGS, they beat the #1 U17 team in the country (status granted by GotSoccer), VSA Heat. At present, they have several players with serious injuries, including a torn ACL for one player and torn ligaments in the ankle of another....both starters.

    As for Jess Holmes, she played years ago for the Empire United Syracuse team that won regionals, and then was moved up to the Empire United State Academy Team in its inaugural year. In the Region I League last year, she scored the only goal vs. then-ranked #1 in the country (GotSoccer), Bethesda Freedom. She ended up on the TopDrawerSoccer Top 100 after that game and the game vs. PDA, and she was approached with offers to play for both PDA and Albertson the following season. Both provided ECNL opportunities that her club could not provide. PDA is Flight A of the ECNL, but had an overfull roster. Albertson offered a great club a few hours away, and arguably the #1 trainer in the country (pro, top college programs, Independence) as a coach. Plus, her little brother has very serious medical issues (see TopDrawerSoccer commit announcement article linked to her profile) that cause the family to travel extensively as it is, so they work his doctors' appointments into their soccer travel to Long Island and the National ECNL events. Even though Holmes is arguably the fastest player, she probably could stand to add 15 pounds to her frame prior to the commencement of college soccer. She is now with the right trainer to maximize her potential. The club coach is also the trainer and assistant coach of the Long Island Fury WPSL team that she will play on this summer, and likely in the summers over the next few years, with a few other players on the Albertson team.

    One other note on Holmes: She traveled with the Albertson Team for their ECNL National Championships at the end of their season, immediately following the 2011 USYS Regionals with her Empire Team, as a trial run. In the three games, she scored 5 goals and had 3 assists. They won all three games, and finished as one of the top teams in the flight.
     
  23. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    Whoa, SoccaMommaDrama! This is a motherload of of interesting information!

    Thanks so much for weighing in with facts! (No drama speculation.)
     
  24. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    Anybody make it over to Winston on Saturday to watch the Heels take on Clemson and NC State?
     
  25. Heeldoc

    Heeldoc Member

    Oct 9, 2011
    I'm not very soccer savvy but I can give you a few impressions. UNC won the first game against Clemson 2-0 and controlled the game throughout. Play was developed in both games from passing around the backline among Murray, Ball, Briggman, and Brooks. The coolest play of the day involved Briggman lying in the weeds and Brooks hitting her suddenly with a long diagonal pass down the sideline in which she outran at least three defenders and took it straight in to score. I can't seem to remember who made the other score or how it happened--I'm sure someone can help out here. The Heels, of course, were missing Dunn and Ohai, but had some good pressure up front until unfortunately both forwards got hurt--Rich got her nose blooded (and I hope not a concussion) trying to win a ball in the air and had to be helped off the field. Then Indie Cowie received a knee injury cutting in traffic--maybe on the wet field. She also had to be helped off the field.

    Lots of people played during the two games. Kat Nigro played a lot of minutes and looked good. The State game was a scoreless tie though we probably should have scored a couple times. Brooks was open v the keeper but sailed one high in the second half to her frustration. It was getting really hot during the second game. State threatened a couple of times, but UNC seemed focused and the defense and keepers played well. Two shutouts.

    My overall sense was that the Heels passed the ball competently and with purpose, especially the starters. Brooks and Brigman--certainly the stars of the day--tried the long ball play in the State game as well and almost scored. Clemson tied Duke in their second game 1-1. The fields were exploding with the Southern Soccer Showcase, soccer moms and dads, bored siblings, and box lunches. That's all I got. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable and alert can correct this report and fill it in--(everyone I'm sure was waiting for Soccerhunter's in-depth analysis!)
     

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