UNC 2019

Discussion in 'Women's College' started by uncchamps2012, Dec 2, 2018.

  1. uncchamps2012

    uncchamps2012 Member

    Jul 9, 2011
    The players they lost are extraordinary for sure, but I think we have seen huge growth in players when placed in leadership roles. Huge talent on this team. I like their chances to return to the title game. Pinto will be a legit Herman trophy contender by the end of the reason . That’s prediction #1. Russo will bet back scoring at a good clip. First team all America. Prediction #2. Unc 1-0 over Stanford for the ncaa title, prediction #3
     
  2. Number007

    Number007 Member+

    Santos FC
    Brazil
    Aug 29, 2018
    Thanks Hassan
     
  3. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    I am not quite as sanguine as you with regard to UNC's prospects in 2019. As a fan, I love your take on next year, but as a realist, I am not so sure. I say this for several reasons. First, a single elimination tournament is fairly accused of favoring the team that peaks at the right time and given the increasing parity in D1 soccer, that means that any of 10 or so teams could plausibly end up the winner. (Or, to put it differently, a single critical defensive error could take any team out of the tournament. Such is soccer.) Second, while I take your point that some UNC player(s) could step up in leadership roles concurrently with improving drastically in on-field skills and incredible fitness and thereby replace the likes of Julia and Dorian, I remain doubtful. Again, I am rooting for the Heels all the way, but I'm also aware that there are plenty of teams that on a given night could beat us (which would include the top 5 in the ACC and the top 3 or 4 in the PAC 12 for starters.)

    I am as eager as anyone to see what the 2019 incoming class will look like on the field. Given that 8 of those recruits are basically local local players and I have seen some of them play in DA games, playing in the college atmosphere is different than in in club ball and even for a player with great potential it sometimes takes a year or two to develop the skills and mentality to start for UNC. (The fan in me is hoping that we will see some surprises from this large class in the mold of Hannah Gardener, Caitlin Ball, Megan Brigman, and Brooke Elby -all of whom were completely below the recruiting radar but quickly became starters. If such nice surprises come to pass, 2019 will be a great year.)

    I personally think that 2020 will be a very strong year for the Heels. Barring injury, the starting 11 that year will likely be composed of 5 seniors, 4 juniors, one soph and one frosh and a host of new talent off the bench.
     
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  4. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    Just a note about AD very publicly getting 5 year extension on his contract... The recruitng for the incoming class of 2021 is basically all set with regard to presently known blue chippers and none of the top 30 have indicated interest in coming to Chapel Hill. (Historically, this represents a huge deviation.) Further, the commitments have been coming in for the 2022 class over the last six months with Penn State, Duke, Santa Clara, Notre Dame already getting two commitments each. Was it pure coincidence that after UNC announced the Dorrance 5 year contract that one of the top 2022 players committed to UNC? (I doubt it.)
     
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  5. Crazyhorse

    Crazyhorse Member

    Dec 29, 2007
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Laughing our loud, FSU only has one 2020 commit, and no 2021 or 2022 commits, although 2022 right now is a little ridiculous, but not any different than how its been with the earlier and earlier commits.
     
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  6. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    #31 Soccerhunter, Dec 28, 2018
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2018
    Yes! I forget to keep stating the obvious that the results of early recruiting are mixed at best. Kids develop at different rates and it is not uncommon for unknown talents find themselves in the right environment to develop into great players in their late teens and early 20s (ie, college age.) Certainly we've seen this at FSU and UNC and it obviously happens elsewhere. On the other hand, what I was pointing out that the kids who are most in the limelight in 9th grade and under pressure to commit are looking down the road to be sure that the coach they want to play under will still be there.

    And then to be pefectly clear, the additional point I was making in the post is that the "presently known blue chippers" refers to the fact that there will be many more top recruits becoming known later as college nears (and by implication some of the early achievers will have faded and surpassed by later developers.) It's all part of the mix in present day DI soccer!
     
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  7. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    As a random note...

    I'm not sure what can be made of this (if anything) but if there are no surprises, next fall's UNC roster will consist of total 32 players of which 19 will be from North Carolina. (Dang, that'a 60% of the roster who live within a 2.5 hour drive of Chapel Hill.) Further, 5 (and possibly 6) starters will have been born and bred in the Tarheel state.

    That's 59% of the roster and 45% (or possibly 55%) of the starters.

    As far as I can tell, both of these numbers would be records for UNC women's soccer.
     
  8. ACC Soccer Mom

    ACC Soccer Mom New Member

    Sep 19, 2016
    Not sure if the Top Drawer Soccer player or recruiting class rankings mean much, but the latest has the UNC group #4 in the U.S.

    Did any of these girls arrive early to participate in the spring season?

    4. North Carolina(w)

    Commitments: D Tori Hansen (NC Courage – No. 12), M Maggie Pierce (NC Courage – No. 33), D Maycee Bell(NC Courage – No. 34), F Aleigh Gambone (McLean Youth Soccer – No. 56), GK Marzia Josephson (NC Courage – No. 63), F Isabella Brown (NC Courage – No. 68), D Julia Dorsey (Bethesda SC – No. 118), F Isabel Cox (North Carolina Fusion), F Hallie Klanke (Sporting Blue Valley SC), M Elizabeth Moore (Wilmington Hammerheads FC), M Alexis Strickland (CASL)
     
  9. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    I don't know which 2019 recruits have matriculated early, but I suspect some of them surely have.

    TDS has the 11 players you list above for this class. However, Emily Moxley who, on the NCSC website is listed as having committed to UNC, but I'm not sure if that is out of date. (The posted roster with the commitments also has Madison Reid as uncommitted, but all other indications are that she has committed to UNC for 2020.) Do you have any info?
     
  10. Enzo the Prince

    Sep 9, 2007
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    Josephson was originally going to but decided against it. Dickey is supposedly playing basketball this spring, too, so not sure what the GK plan will be. Not that it matters too much in spring.
     
  11. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    Dickey is getting a few minutes in about half of the basketball games so far this season which doesn't sound like much, but there are 6 other players on the roster who have hardly played at all so it appears that she is being given a good look as a future contributor.
     
  12. Enzo the Prince

    Sep 9, 2007
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    Have to wonder if that is sustainable. If she becomes the starting goalkeeper next season (however much that term means at Carolina, where two keepers often split halves for much of a season), and also eventually becomes a contributor on the basketball team, you wouldn't think the staff of either teams will be happy with the split commitment.
     
  13. Soccer Gramps

    Soccer Gramps New Member

    Everton
    United States
    Oct 9, 2017
    The NC Courage pro team web page shows a photo with 3 players from the NC Courage Academy graduating early and leaving the team to start playing in college - one to LSU, one to South Carolina, and Maggie Pierce to UNC, so if correct Pierce is shown in a post above as ranked #33 in the U.S. in the 2019 class and is now at UNC playing with the team.
     
  14. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    Watched the highlight gifs of all of the goals at the US vs France senior team. France won 3-1. Emily Fox got the start at left back and also got a learning experience. The gif of France's first goal begins with Emily chasing down a ball back towards the US goal line on the left a good yard ahead of France's Delphine Cascarino who then reaches out for Emily's left arm and pulls her behind her with such a forceful yank that Emily stumbles briefly before recovering to resume the chase. Welcome to one of the top teams in women's international soccer! (-and a rather relaxed referee.) Emily was subbed out by Tierna Davidson in the second half.

    In watching all of the goals, I get the impression that France is very good (and seriously fast up front) and were pumped up big time for this match. Their other two second half goals resulted from sublime through passes and great execution on the shots. Malory Pugh scored the US goal in stoppage time with a great effort after some great one-touch passing.
     
  15. Glove Stinks

    Glove Stinks Member+

    Jan 20, 2014
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Unfortunately if you watch the whole game she got a full reality check. A check that she will definitely learn from and be better for. The French were relentless on attacking the US left side and roasted her multiple times. Felt bad for her
     
  16. ACC Soccer Mom

    ACC Soccer Mom New Member

    Sep 19, 2016
    Anyone know time and location of UNC vs. Courage game coming up?
     
  17. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    Generally the exact time and field location will be posted on the UNC women's soccer page the day before the scrimmage. (And then sometimes change it the morning of....)

    Last year the scrimmage was at the Wake Med Soccer Park on field #6 along the east side parking lot (lot E) in the afternoon. Several years before that it was on field #3, which is adjacent to the field on which the Heels have been playing their home games for the past two years.
     
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  18. Chrasts67

    Chrasts67 New Member

    Manchester United
    United States
    Sep 9, 2017
    March 19th at 3:30 @ Wake Med
     
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  19. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    I just noticed that Isabel Cox is enrolled at UNC for the spring semester. Isabel is a forward/midfielder out of Greensboro who will be the tallest on the field at 6'0". With this unusually large class of 11, it is only reasonable to assume that only the top 2 to 4 players will have any significant impact in their first years. I'm always mindful that anyone on the team could develop into a starter, so we shall see where she ends up playing for UNC and how she develops. She comes from an athletic family where she is the youngest of three girls --one of her sisters played soccer at NC State and the other was a tennis player. Isabel has made a name for herself in high school soccer, although she has also played club ball at NC Fusion on their ECNL team.
     
  20. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    And after a little more research I discover the Hallie Klanke should also be currently practicing with the Heels. (She posted that she transferred high schools so that she could graduate early, and she appears to have left Kansas City and is in Chapel Hill and wearing UNC jersey #26.) I do think that she might get some good looks this spring and next fall as a scrappy forward.
     
  21. Soccer Gramps

    Soccer Gramps New Member

    Everton
    United States
    Oct 9, 2017
    Not 100% sure, but I think the only 2 players who enrolled early in Jan. and who are playing the spring season are Maggie Pierce and Hallie(sp?) KIanke. Or at least they were the only 2 mentioned as starting and playing in the first spring match.
     
  22. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    I saw in a Greensboro paper summary of area HS players that Cox was listed as "enrolled" with UNC. (But now I can't find it any more....) In any case, if she IS there next Saturday, she will be obvious!
     
  23. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    #48 Soccerhunter, Mar 19, 2019
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2019
    It was a delightful day for soccer and I made it to the scrimmage this afternoon. The Heels were down on numbers --14 players available and they all played. The opposition was the Carolina Courage which just happens to be the best women's pro team in the world (with national team starters and players such as Crystal Dunn, Debinha, Abby Dahlkemper, Samantha Mewis, McCall Zerboni, (and ex UNC players Jessica McDonald and Heather O'Reilley did not play today, nor did Sam Leshnak and Adelade Gay, who are on the Courage pre-season roster trying out for a keeper slot.)

    Like last year, when the pro first team was on the field, the Heels ware out classed. While frosh Brianna Pinto certainly held her own and went toe to toe with the pros (and Lotte did as well), the remainder of the Tarheel players were usually a step behind the very aggressive pros who uniformly hadh great first touch skills and great hustle and communication. The pros scored a goal in each half and rock solid defense kept the Heels off the board. (And like last year, when the second string pros came on for the last 20 minutes, it was a much more even match.)

    Some observations and news:
     
  24. Soccerhunter

    Soccerhunter Member+

    Sep 12, 2009
    (Whops, I didn't mean to post this yet....)

    Notes would be that defender Brooke Bingham has an ACL tear and will likely not be back until 2020. Emily Fox was on the side line, but the word was that she is focused on getting ahead of things academically and is not playing this spring. (Recall that she was on the academic honor role, but then spent time with the national team, in December. and apparently has some "incompletes" to take care of.)

    Jersey numbers were some what mixed up, but I did figure out who new frosh Hallie Klanke was. As far as I know she has only played forward throughout her entire club and scholastic career, but she was at left back for the day and did well. As befits her reputation, she is a hustler. Word was also that Rachel Jones is still recovering from her nagging injury of this last fall. I was told that Ru will be back next year as will Zoe ..who are both studying internationally this semester.

    For most of the day the line up was Claudia Dickey in Goal, the back line was Hallie Klanke, Morgan Goff, Lotte-Wubben Moy, and Bridgette Andrzejewski, Midfield was Miah Arraba, Brianna Pinto, (and an unknown wearing jersey 16), and up front was Madison Shultz, Rachel Dowart, and Laura Sparling. We didn't sub for the first half (that I noticed anyway), and subbed two players who I did not recognize in the second half to give a breather to Hallie and Miah, and Natalie Chandler got some minutes as well.

    Over all we played well enough to keep the score within reach, and it was a real good workout. It will be interesting to see how they do when they go up to Washington to play the Spirit and then after that the Sky Blue team.
     
  25. babranski

    babranski Member+

    Dec 15, 2012
    Raleigh, NC
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    May I ask how you deigned the left back (wearing #15) was Hallie Klanke. I assumed up to this point it was Aleigh Gambone, but now I have doubts with your ID. I had only the calls and cheers from the bench (of which she had quite a few, the most definitive after a recovery run against Lynn Williams) ... could have sworn I heard "Aleigh" but now I rekon it could have been "Hallie" as well.

    I dunno where you got #16, but there was a #6 on the field, and she was unquestionably Taylor Otto. Seeing as that's the only player you didn't list in your starters, I'm guessing thats who you missed. You're absolutely right about the numbers ... they're all mixed up. Someone came out in Binghams #30 and I could never ID her. Is this who you think was Natalie Chandler ... I went thinking it was Tori Hansen.

    Such is Spring Season I guess, we're all just grasping at straws and there's no mechanic of confirmation.
     

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