No doubt that the entire fall team is not there but if I am a current player that was a reserve last fall, I am using the spring to show as much as I can that one of those vacant spots should be mine . Then deal with beating out newbies in the fall. I would be curious to find if there is someone currently there who looks to be filing Brooks' spot which you can use spring games for. Also, I would think the goalies are trying to show well in the spring.
I just heard tonight that UNC is thinking about moving to the Big10. It's an obvious mens bball move, but what are the thoughts about the move? Also heard Virginia or Georgia Tech. would follow making 16 teams.
Please do tell, from what reliable source did you hear this news??? All I can see is that sports blogger Jeff Erman has tweeted his speculation that UNC may go and mentioned VA and Ga Tech. Many others seemed to have jumped excitedly on his bandwagon while some others are quite skeptical. We'll see.
I heard it on a radio station as they were talking about the BIG10 and mens basketball. Where they got the info. I don't know.
That rumor has been out there for awhile. UNC and VA to Big 10, NC State and VA Tech to SEC and Clemson, FL State to Big 12. I heard it 3rd hand through a conference committee member. Won't believe it until I see it.
If you are an administrator at UNC, or any other ACC school, moving to the Big 10 would look great in the only category that matters … $.
Well, the view that money is all that really matters is certainly a reality in many circles, but should it be? Will anyone in power in higher education ever have the guts to really stand up to big-time football and basketball and point out that that the tail is wagging the dog? My point would be that while the battle has perhaps long been lost with regard to big academic institutions hiring professional football and basketball teams for marketing purposes, does it have to drag olympic sports along with it? What about sanity?
Gardner and Green to Spain with the U20s and Dunn in with the full team again for Algarve. All great for them but let's hope we don't have to deal with untimely absenses during the fall as UNC seeks to defend.
Well done by Hanna Gardner! She had a great season with the '12 Heels, and I think it is first rate that she is getting this look on the U20s. Richly deserved IMO, and can only help her develop her game! She has the potential to be a real power for the Heels over the next few years!
If history repeats itself, you can look to back four years ago. In 2009 (the year after the last Olympic gold medal), Tobin only missed a few games in the season due to USWNT camps, so even if Dunn becomes a regular member of the team, she hopefully won't miss many games next year.
There are many things that will be tried out this spring and in fall preseason practice. For one ting, the sheer size of the team roster is posing problems that Carolina didn't used to have. For example, we are losing two starters to graduation: Gay & Brooks. (Only tournament starters considered... and if yo consider that the keeper situation is happily taken care of..in spades, the only one starter role needs to be filled.) Then we have three US U17 national team players coming in, plus the captain of the Mexican U-17 team, plus highly regarded Cameron Castleberry and other solid players. Then in addition, we have Indi Cowie and former two-year starter Megan Brigman healed and ready to play, and a bunch of subs from last year who were looking really good. The spring is all about taking a fresh look at various (and sometimes novel) possibilities, and there appears to be endless permutations. The subs and healed players will get first crack at showing what they can do, but they'll all be looking over their shoulders at the frosh coming in. In August it all starts over with the big and talented freshman class looking to gain a foothold. (Plus we don't know who else is being added to this class...AD always seems to have a surprise when the formal announcement is made.) Then, will there be transfers out and a whole bunch of red-shirting going on? This all presents a special challenge to the coaching staff and to the on-field leadership to keep the great team chemistry alive. It also presents a fascinating time for fans to watch and endlessly speculate as to what trends are evident and what the line up will be in the fall.
Also losing Amber Brooks/Renee Premji to graduation so will need to replace that position in the midfield. Sadly, Indi Cowie has left the team to pursue her free styling.
Oh. I didn't know that Indi had left the team. That is news. Not that it surprises me at all. I have been speculating all along that it would be a tough call for her to make.... To stay with the team if she is doing well, or to pursue a lucrative career in free styling. Ask most folks and they'd advise her to take the money and run. She is putatively the best female free-styler in the world and that can translate into quite a career for the next decade or so. Get the right agent/publicist and she can make a ton of money to go to college anywhere she wants. A year ago she was showing good promise at spring practice before she tore her ACL. Anson had her in the starting rotation and she was beginning to get the hang of top-end college soccer --and she was really enjoying being on the team socially. She could have been quite good. Had that gone well and she started in the first half of last season, she would have had a REAL tough choice to make. But since she had to sit out with and ACL tear, it put into sharp focus where the more guaranteed money/career was. Women's pro soccer is not very lucrative -even if the leagues last more than 3 years. I wish her well. Will she be staying at Carolina as an academic student?
Yes, she is staying at UNC and all I heard was she may stay on in some type of coaching/admin position with team, but that was about third hand, so not sure details or accuracy
I heard she was invited but could not go because of her classes and profs not willing to allow so many absences Either reason, it is bummer she could not go
That does stink but odd that it would be school in light of how she was able to get away a good deal last year with all of the world cup prep in the spring and missing the start of the school year for the WC in the fall. But hopefully she gets a call into one of the summer camps with the full team.
Last year she might have gone to summer school, which lightens the course load. This year she was doing World Cup camps.
The lack of Ohai talk from anybody in the know suggests to me she is taking the entire year off to focus on school. I have heard everything from her wanting to focus on graduating by the end of 2013 to family health issues. The other odd suggestion was the U-23 team was stacked and there was no room for her or even Brooks. I expect she will only play for UNC this year, and only in the regular season (not in the spring/summer games).
This one of those many examples of no one really knowing what is going on (with Ohai, in this case) and endless speculation and rumor mongering. So many times when the facts come out no one had it right. So who knows? However, it is laughable to suggest that last year's U23 international tournament MVP and team captain does not have the chops to even be invited to this year's camp (or team.) Someday we might know the real explanation.
Kealia Ohai played tonight against Elon. She had a goal and assist. I really enjoyed watching Michelle Clemente. Briggy was back and playing. We were missing players as to be expected. They won 3-0. Goals by Reilly, Michelle and Kealia.