I'd be curious as to whether she is a keeper. I say this because I think that at this juncture (late May) it would be really rare to find a good field player coming out of the UNC club team who could play at the usual UNC level. But some times, there are good keepers who are focused on a college degree and good enough to back up the starring keeper and would be happy to do so.
Getting close to the season, I think this season will be fine but very different from what this program is used to. I think we need to prioritize recruiting over the next couple years. I think Elgin could declare after this season, depending of her performance. Dahlien is also a player who could declare, she will get loads of time this year and I think she could have a breakout season leading the offense. I think our freshman will have a big impact. I wonder how the 2026 recruiting class will go. Hopefully we get good players who don’t want to go pro immediately, or we can get really talented players who will at least reclassify to play one season. I think we might need a bigger class than usual because by then we will only have 14 players (of the current roster or recruiting) and that is also without any transferring or going pro.
I don’t know whether you can get to today’s article about UNC soccer in The Assembly, but perhaps it will allow you to read at least one free article, so here’s an attempt to give you a link. https://www.theassemblync.com/
Wow. Also, I remember seeing a social media video posted by a player that implied that Anson barely remembered her name and in the article it talked about the same. It does make sense tho that the best players love UNC the most, Savy King posts tons about UNC and how she loved it while the “deep-reserves” don’t have the same love.
I came across a thread on X-Twitter by the reporter, Matt Hartman in december, i got a tip about an exodus of players leaving @uncwomenssoccer. 5 months later, here's my piece at @TheAssemblyNC about a coach allegedly dating a player, a hostile environment, and players feeling forgotten https://t.co/HFYR9oVYwh— Matt Hartman (@themhartman) May 31, 2024 And here is the thread compiled into a single post by the ThreadReader App: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1796534662703026650.html
That article definitely gives some context to the “Sam meza is the best midfielder in the world” quotes
Genius tactic by the USC coaching staff having their alumni visit other schools and stir up drama within their programs
This is the first thing I've encountered that offers some explanation, beyond unhappiness with playing time, for the player exodus. It also jibes with the celebration of UNC pros in the emails from Dorrance posted by Heeldoc.
I saw on another thread someone said they learned UNC has 5 incoming transfers, with that I would estimate the roster size to be about 24, could be more if UNC takes a club goalie. Not a bad size, generally what FSU has
My observation is that in recent times ACL injuries are healed and the players are competing on the field from 9 months to 14 months depending on the extent of the tear, the skill of the surgeon, and the nature and execution of the healing regimen. So it is possible that Evelyn Shores will be ready to go in August.... even as it might be toward the middle of the season.
I’m pretty sure we might be getting Yale goalie Marisa Shorrock. Not confirmed but I saw smth about it and some current players do follow her.
Nothing confirmed but I think one of these 3 or all could be on our roster next year: Lauren Doyle (attended UNCW for soccer in 2022, transferred to UNC to not play soccer in 2023, pretty sure I saw her training with the team in a photo) Marisa Shorrock (followed by multiple players & graduate goalie from Yale) Clare Gagne (followed by multiple players & graduate goalie from Brown)
Found an article that confirms Marisa Shorrock will be playing at UNC next year https://06880danwoog.com/2023/09/13/roundup-long-lots-meeting-political-signs-rtm-candidates/amp/
So then it looks like we have a second keeper for this fall in Marisa Shorrock from Yale for a 5th year. Lauren Doyle got middling playing time in her freshman year (2022) at UNCW, starting in 2 games. She is from Chapel Hill and transferred to UNC last year and played on the club team. I can understand why she got a look this spring and she may have made the roster for 2023 but it would be a surprise if she got significant PT.... but there is always hope.
Players, parents, recruits, alumnae and donors, Another excellent academic semester for your Tar Heels!! Three ass kicking Tar Heels … Sentnor, King and Dahlien … called into the U-20 National Youth Team. It has also been fun for us as we try to keep up with the eleven players (Emily Moxley just signed with the Carolina Ascent to make it eleven … see below!!!) off the 2023 fall roster signing professional contracts. Yes, some of these Tar Heels have started and played 90 minutes; some are fighting their way onto the field into the second half and some are navigating their way into this new world where EVERYONE can play! It is certainly not easy, but the NWSL is improving and the salaries are also getting to the point where the incomes are becoming legitimate. It was also terrifying this year as we saw an incredible 2024 recruiting class changed by professional clubs that saw the potential these wonderful Tar Heel committed soccer players had and pulled them in … there is an article about that below!! Six of the top 8 U-19 Superstars are Tar Heel players or commits … #1 Jaedyn Shaw, #2 Olivia Moultrie, #3 Claire Hutton, # 6 Kennedy Fuller, # 7 Savy King, #8 Emeri Adames!! Every one of those players are fun to watch and making the NWSL even better!! And speaking of living on a “never ending ascension”, look at Talia and Tori Dellaperuta being brought in to fight for a spot ON THE ITALIAN FULL NATIONAL TEAM …. absolutely fantastic!! And look at Lotte … Player of the Season for the Arsenal … congratulations Lotte!!! Crystal Dunn and her 10,000 minutes AND BEING LOOKED AT AS A POTENTIAL STRIKER for Emma Hayes and the US Full Team; Emily Fox, being selected as 1st Eleven for the FA Women’s Super League in England AND being brought in for the US Full National Team!!! Tar Heels doing well all over the world … we could not be prouder from Paradise!! Anson
Players, parents, recruits, alumnae and donors, Thanks to a collection of wonderfully bold women … Heather O’Reilly Werry, Jessica McDonald and Kealia Ohai Watt … we all experienced an immensely entertaining weekend of exciting soccer culminating in a One Million Dollar prize in the second year of the 7v7 TST Tournament. Heather’s team won in a “golden goal” format “target scoring” which is a fantastic way for every game to end in a goal. Talia Dellaperuta scored the goal with her left foot as a part of Team USA. She beat a team recruited by Jessica McDonald that wore the NC Courage crest. Both teams fought their way through an eight team event to make the finals. Team USA featured 6 former Tar Heels as starters: Lindsey Harris in goal, “Golden Glove winner” (who was the hero last year fending off rocket after rocket as the goalkeeper of the only women’s team in the inaugural TST event); Cat Reddick and Tessa Dellarose as the defenders in the 1-2-3-1; Allie Long in the middle of the 3 midfielders with Talia on the right; and the irrepressible Heather O’Reilly as the lone striker. Kealia Ohai Watt’s team … with former Tar Heels Anna Sieloff in goal; Amber Brooks in the back and Alexa Newfield in midfield … was a force to be reckoned with (seeing Kealia’s pace, she was still a challenging factor for every defense she faced). Amber played every minute of every game … an achievement in itself. Kealia and her husband are part owners of Burnley in the EPL and they wore the Burnley colors all weekend. Rachel Wood, a 2010 Tar Heel graduate, joined a team with a collection of Duke players which was OK because Duke loaned Carla Werden Overbeck, now a Duke assistant, back to Heather to join Bill Palladino, his wife Wendy; Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers (two of the greatest of ALL TIME); Kendall Fletcher; Kacey White; Jen Mead and Colleen “the Hacker” as coaches for the Team USA!! Obviously, all the teams were generally a mix of all kinds of players from all kinds of backgrounds to celebrate what they all had in common: the love of this wonderful game. I appreciate Jen Zac Beamer and Liz Marslender Deegan who helped gather our Alumnae for the weekend; and, with Susan Ellis (the coach of Jessica McDonald’s Team), organized the pickleball event at Durham Academy Middle School on Saturday morning. Congratulations to Maria Lubrano and her plus one who trashed everyone in pickleball (yes, including me and Susan Ellis). I am also incredibly proud of Tessa Dellarose, who won the MVP for the event and Bella Sember who were very important parts of Team USA … they both played VERY well and “lived on a never ending ascension” improving in every game they played. Yes, I heard so many talking about their return to Paradise AND that they should do it more often … please do!!! Next year this event is back at Wake Med Park so ALUMNAE PLEASE CONSIDER COMING BACK!! Anson
just made the connection that Sam Johnson who is the “source trying to protect the UNC players from Anson” is the same Sam Johnson who was involved with the Rory Dames scandal. Always mixed up in some kind of drama.
Or... She knows of what she speaks. Dames was the scandal, not the fact that Johnson happened to be caught up in it.
I’m eager to see how this recruiting class will turn out. Will it be a regular UNC sized class with 1-3 5-stars that will go pro again before arriving on campus or will the coaches go for a large (9-10) class that will feature good players who will reclassify to join next year and other good 4-stars and a couple 3-stars. It wouldn’t hurt to still go for the really talented players in the class even if we’ve been unsuccessful at keeping them.