Well, Hrumph. So the game was moved to Friday?! The rain had stopped so I double checked the posted schedule on the UNC site at 5:00 today and my wife and I took off to Winston Salem eager to see the Heels try things out against the Wake Forest women this evening. Got to Spry Stadium while I was a little concerned that we would be late, instead I was very disappointed that there was nobody there and the field dark. Oh well, 3+ hours of driving was just what we needed and we cheated by buying milk shakes on the way home. Fabulous date! Sooo, Babs, you have inside information that that the game was canceled tonight and that Duke scrimmage has been rubbed out? Where can I find that info? ...and, uh, what of interest did you observe on Friday?
oof, Soccer, sorry I'm just now seeing it., just checking the thread before I head out. The game was moved a couple of times and is now today (Sunday) at 3pm.
Spring Game #1 ... UNC held to a 1-1 draw in a game that could have easily ended 4-1 in the Tar Heel's favor. Maddie Dahlien, the Tar Heels best player in the game, scores the lone goal in the first half, while a familiar face scored an equalizer later in the first half. I knew she had transferred, but I had no idea Emily Murphy had transferred to WFU and didn't even recognize her until I *heard* her on the field, thought "gosh that sounds like Murphy" ... and sure enough. Starters for UNC featured a lot of heavy hitters, Cox, Sentnor, and Dahlien up top with Talia Dellaperuta, Patterson, Colton, and Wrigley in midfield. Dellarose centered Elgin and Moxley on the back line. Allen starterd in goal in the first half and Reason started in the second. Teater came in for Wrigley as well. Teater had a few good movements with the ball at her feet but ... I mean outside of Dahlien and Dellaperuta I didn't form any impressions of any players. It was all individual moments here and individual moments there. A new face on the field, I think ... I am 99% certain #2 on the right wing was Mia Oliaro, playing roughly 30 minutes as a first choice sub. I zoned in on her all the times she was on the field after I realized she was probably a new player, but she never really got a chance to shine beyond a couple of battles in midfield where UNC was otherwise untroubled. Made a couple of good runs off the ball in the first half but never got the pass. Looks strong ... like ... she's not one of those incoming freshman that so often the coaches have to work on their strength and conditioning with. She looks strong, agile, and had a powerful stride on the few runs I watched her make. This is a game where the UNC midfield absolutely dominated the WFU midfield, but they lacked quality on the ends. Part of that was everything you would expect in a Spring exhibition, the other part of it was surprising good organization from the WFU defense. They were a lot better than they were a year ago in that cold and windy game in Bryant park. A lot of really good UNC attacking movements through the midfield ended with the AR's flag up. That being said, the Tar Heels had their chances to put this one away many times over. Talia Dellaperuta rang the crossbar from the spot after an iffy PK call. Emily Colton also struck the crossbar on a really good movement in the second. There were a *ton* of in close pokes, prods, and various kinds half chances, but it never felt like the WFU keepers were troubled by anything more than a glancing header from Cox that forced a diving save. Otherwise, the Heels just ... failed to finish. Midway through the first half Ally Sentnor had a tap in from 3 yards out and center goal on a driven ball from the end-line, whiffed, and it was just that kind of game. While WFU did have some good movements forward (especially late in the first) and created more chances than you would expect, it just never felt like this game was in doubt until it was just about over. Even with 30 seconds left the Tar Heels looked like for sure they were going to score with Dahlien beating two defenders and driving in to goal, only to have a WFU defender come in from the side and demolish her off the ball with no call. One of two or three straight penalties shouts in the final few minutes of the game, none of them called. It feels a little different to be annoyed by those than the missed call at the end of a championship game. Murphy's goal was just so out of the blue that I'm still not sure it was hers, I'm really just basing it on how WF celebrated. Really tight angle outside of the box with a defender on her hip and she looks like her touch has put her in a bad place, but she managed to strike it sweetly and caught UNC and Allen off guard. Murphy even almost finished the game for Wake Forest in spectacular fashion, taking a transition chance off of the no call against Dahlien and nearly getting a break away with seconds to go. It was a spring game. It was *one* spring game. Some small things here and there stood out but ... not really? Everything was within the frame of normality, if that makes sense. I thought Talia Dellaperuta and Maddie Dahlien were UNC's best players. I like Dellarose at CB but don't expect that to be a thing when UNC gets Bell and Herr back. Sentnor ... oh Ally ... so many great chances that came and went and I don't think she believed she had the time that she did in many of them. Probably the biggest indicator of how tough WF's defense played UNC today was how many Sentnor chances they blocked and defended away. I feel like I am trying to find this balance here of highlighting how good Sentnor was, how hesitation cost her in this game, and the reason that hesitation was so costly because of how good WFU's defense was. It's not something I've been good at in the past, reminding me a bit of throwing Emily Fox under the bus by suggesting UNC still might not have won the Championship game with someone of her talent on the field because I wanted to give Stanford credit for how well they held UNC's offense in check. I dislike blaming a loss on injuries, I didn't think it was the reason they lost that year and I don't think it's the reason they lost last year despite the staggering list of missing players in both games. Rambling a bit and gonna wrap this up with Dahliens goal. WF was determined to play out of the back most of this game and, for the most part, they did pretty well. I say that comparatively to how most teams fair trying to play out of the back against UNC. They got caught with it on Dahlien's tally tho ... knocking it about in an expanded shape, and then Dahlien is able to nick the ball from behind without having to break stride and was able to drive straight into the heart of that expanded shape before they could recover. A neat low driven finish with her right into the left side netting.
Great write up, Babs. You provide one answer to my query as to whether Izzy Cox and/or Julia Dorsey would be back next year. It would appear that Izzy will be with us in the fall. (In other words, I do not believe that in the past I've ever seen a player working it out in the spring and then not appearing in the fall.) Julia is obviously focused on lacrosse this spring. so we won't know her status until then. Wow! Would never have guessed that Murph would end up in the ACC, much less at WFU. I've been watching the postings on the NCAA transfer portal and nothing there regarding her, but maybe there is just a lag there. I was sad when a saw that she would be departing the Heels not only because I loved seeing her play on the field, but also because she is just such a positive person with great social skills -not only with teammates but especially with kids. (This grandfather, with cudos to her parents, predicts she will do well in life.) In any case, I think that there will be a great 2 or 3 seasons for Murph at Wake. It's a really good fit and she should see a lot of playing time. Lots more of juicy observations in your post that I will try to digest later.
Thanks for sharing. Out of curiosity, do you know if Abbie Colton played for WFU? IIRC, she missed (was out injured) the regular season matchup against Emily.
The UV case finally arrived so now the 2022 signed ball is on display. I think I might be more excited about it than my U14 daughter.
007, I'm ignorant as to how she ended up at UNC. All I know is that she just appeared on the roster in 2021 without any advanced fanfare. We fans could only read her bio blurb as coming up through the system in England and was on the U17 national team. I took it to mean that this is just how it happens with internationals with announcements (if any) made late in the summer. (Like FSU, one just had to see the roster when it came out to see who was there.) Are you hinting that an unusual route was utilized to go to the US to play college soccer? In any case Murph started for the whole season (with an ankle injury taking her out of three games) and led the team with 16 points (5 goals and 6 assists). I assumed that she would improve over the spring and summer and would start again in 2022. But with Ally Sentnor now in the picture, Avery Patterson blossoming for an incredible season, and Dahlien and Tallia DellaPeruta coming on strong late in the season, Murph did not start (except for the Virgina game where she scored a goal and an assist.) She played in almost every game and averaged about 30 minutes on the pitch, but nothing spectacular. Given all of the above, I can certainly see that she could be playing elsewhere and starting with no question. Her UNC teammates, I, (and other UNC fans, I am sure) will miss her for more than just her energetic play on the field.
Yes ... it wasn't something I was looking for in the game, but during one of the WFU subs there was a loud cheer from the bench and clear chants of Abbie's name, and though I didn't make the connection at the time, it makes sense now with your question. She came in and played in both halves.
A lot of movement on social media showing Ruby Grant playing professionally in Europe. Used to be certain this meant she's moved on from UNC but now adays I'm not so sure.
Last I saw, Ruby would be playing on a Swedish team and that it would not jeopardize her returning to UNC. But looking onto your revelation, it also appears as though, after a 6 week trial trial she has signed a 3 year contract. It occurs to me that Anson may have encouraged her to play in Europe for the spring and summer with several possible outcomes --that she either comes back to UNC a stronger player or that she signs a contract with a significant commitment. If so, it would appear that the latter has happened. Good for her!
UNC's Instagram posted a story saying they would miss her. I would assume that means she is not returning.
Yup. And here's an article on it (in Swedish): https://bkhacken.se/nyhet/ruby-grant-for-tre-ar-i-bk-hacken
Well, UNC fans, are we looking at having the pros pick off a UNC committed player for the 4th time? News is that Melina Rebimbas is now training with the Washing Spirit. This is not a good sign for UNC. Last year UNC's top committed player (Jaelyn Howell) was also invited to train with the Spirit and went on to the pros. And does this imply that UNC is likely to have the two committed top players from the 2024 class also go pro? The way the NWSL teams are moving to snap up younger players (the Spirit just bragged about signing a 15 year old) is certainly disconcerting for college women's soccer fans. The relationship of the college game to pros is changing. Anson fully understands this and he has supported the three UNC committed players that have so far cancelled their commitment to go pro. Maybe Damon and Anson should not try to sign top players? It's been the pattern that the pro teams have waited until the spring of the top prospects' senior years to invite them to come train. When they go pro in the late spring there is no recruiting time for a college to find replacements of that caliber.
I read that about Melina. It will be a real bummer for UNC if she goes pro like Jaedyn Shaw before spending time in Chapel Hill. Do you know how that works from an NWSL perspective? Would Melina be considered a “Supplemental Player”? I read through the NWSL Roster Rules and don’t see anything definitive: https://www.nwslsoccer.com/roster-rules
No she is not. She will take up a full roster spot and is on a guaranteed contract. Per the NWSL’s new Under-18 Entry Mechanism, Ricketts will occupy a full roster spot, will reside with a parent or legal guardian until she turns 18 years of age, may not be traded or waived before age 18 without both her and her parent/legal guardian’s consent and may not be selected in expansion drafts. ------- Supplemental Players are Domestic Players who sign a Semi-Guaranteed SPA for the League Minimum Salary and the only bonus they are eligible for is the League-provided Post Season and Award Bonuses. Salaries of Supplemental Players do not count against the Salary Cap. The Supplemental Player limit for the 2022 NWSL League Season is zero (0) to four (4) Players. Supplemental Players are subject to the same rules that govern Senior Players, unless specifically noted. Except for salary, Supplemental Players are afforded the same opportunities and other benefits as Senior Players – including being eligible for selection in all NWSL matches. The same League processes (e.g., Discovery, Waiver Wire, trades, payroll, etc.) utilized for Senior Players shall apply to Supplemental Players.
The Tar Heels still only have three announced Spring Games after they cancelled the game against Duke. I'm still kind of hoping that a fourth game will be inserted in at some point, either as a preseason game against the Courage or another team that also has an open slot. Is the limit still 4 games?
Got this from a 3/17 Dorrance email. Players, parents, recruits, alumnae and donors: Below is our updated spring schedule … unfortunately Duke had to cancel since they were down to 12 players. We opened our winter off season schedule with a 1-1 draw with Wake. In the fall Wake played us VERY well with a game we won on a Tori Hansen penalty kick. They were a challenge to break down again but Maddie Dahlein scored a wonderful goal as she continues to improve. And honestly, another freshman, Maci Teater was considered one of our players up for “Player of the Match”. I love watching players improve AND this winter/spring many players are getting better and better!! Speaking of improvement, if you are interested in ideas in “player development” please read this report on F.C. Midtjylland (an ambitious club in Herning, Denmark). They, like us, are sold on using data to drive performance. 2023 has been a fantastic year for Tar Heels graduating and signing pro contracts. Heather O’Reilly has greased the rails for Maggie Pierce and Ru Mucherera to sign at Shelbourne in Ireland. Libby Moore and Aleigh Gambone have signed at Fortuna in Denmark. Ruby Grant has signed with Coach Robert Vilahamn and BK Hacken in Sweden. This followed Tori Hansen who was drafted by Orlando into the NWSL. We are incredibly proud for Talia DellaPeruta and Avery Patterson to be invited into the U-23 National Youth Team; especially since that roster can be filled with young active pros out of the NWSL. Shout out to Lotte Wubben Moy with her Arsenal Conti Cup Championship AND that she took the time to support my daughter who was over in London performing. Take time to read this simple piece at the end on “honesty”. Everything we can do to build our own “principle centered” lives is a good thing. Hey!!! I have missed our players that are on Spring Break. We all look forward to seeing them all when they return to Paradise!! Anson Updated UNC Spring Schedule: March 25th vs Virginia - 5pm - Richmond, VA April 1st vs Liberty, JMU, and High Point - Lynchburg, VA (Liberty Campus) April 15th vs Clemson - 1pm - Finley Fields
UNC vs UVA cancelled about two hours before kickoff. UVA twitter suggests UNC had to make the decision.
What happened?? Almost made the trip downtown to see this but decided not to at the last minute. Good thing it was free. Was there a flu bug or something? Funny how the social media is so quite.
Indeed...It really is strange. If the cancellation was only 2 hours form kickoff and it's a 2.5+ hour drive from Chapel Hill, the UNC bus would have left at about 4 hours in advance so as to accommodate a bathroom stop and then to get into one's gear and warm up on the field. This would then mean that the 2 hour notice of the decision not to play was made just before arriving in Richmond (or maybe upon arrival at Richmond if they had left a little more leeway for travel, etc.) [Other choices: food poisoning from lunch, bus breakdown, illness of some sort, critical equipment left behind, ...who knows?)
the timing of the announcement, as Soccerhunter said, suggests that not only did the bus pull out of CH but got all the way to Richmond. I suppose there could be a scenario here where the two teams knew further in advance before the bus left for Richmond and for some reason just didn't announce it. The earliest notification that I got (but still did not see until after) was from a family member roughly an hour before the earliest announcement, which I think was UVA's twitter post. Even if I had seen the heads up, I had already been on the road for over an hour. Ah well, it was a pleasent enough road trip.
UNC in Lynchburg tomorrow to play three different opponents. First game is at noon vs Liberty on their main field, then they move to a practice field for the other two. I'm guess each "game" will be 30 minutes. Weather doesn't look great drive up, but hopefully the rain stops and clears in time for the games. Otherwise live updates on twitter might be problematic.