Nice honor......but she hasn't proven herself on the College field. Who knows is she will live up to expectations, if she will do well in classes or even mix well with others.etc,etc,etc. Time will tell!
here we go again- a bit negative,lets assume she is great until shown anything else. There is another prospect on that ESPN list that is supposed to be UNC bound-Ohai. Possibly a good set of incoming prospects here
so, just to update the list. the incoming freshman class includes Elizabeth Burchenal Crystal Dunn Kelly McFarlane Meagan Morris Kealia Ohai Anna Sieloff I've heard great things about Burchenal, Dunn, Ohai, and Sieloff, but I don't really know who McFarlane and Morris. Any info on them? I'm thinking Ohai, Dunn, and Burchenal will come in and challenge for starting spots. And I think Sieloff and Daly could possibly end up in a Rodenbough/Harris split time situation? Thoughts anyone? Although they might not be on the level of the Class of '06, I think it's the best class since then.
You don't have to meet progress to degree requirements strictly with UNC courses (or traditional course delivery) . . . it's certainly possible to stay eligible even while training overseas or with the national team. As far as Bronze goes, it's hard to find a more ignorant coach than an Englishman, I'd expect Bronze will be back.
This is true for any college athlete - regardless of the sport. I am not concerned about her from an academic standpoint. Her current HS, St. Ursala Academy, is academically demanding and those that slack off in their studies do not last long there. SUA also plays one of the most demanding HS schedules of any HS in Ohio. That schedule's strength, however, has only a fraction of the difficulty that her club team's schedule has and she was an integral part of the OESA team that played in the National Chamionship last season (this was a U18 team that she played on as a U17). That particular team was consistently one of the best club teams in the country for the past few years. We don't know that she will live up to expectations but I have no reason to believe that she will not. She is big, skilled, and fast. I have seen her play often and she routinely can take on, and win, 1v3 situations. I will enjoy watching her as a Tarheel over the next 4 seasons.
I haven't had time to drill down to see in which games Burch played for the Boston Renegades but clearly, she was one of the youngest players in the entire league this past Summer and had pretty fantastic results in very limited playing time. I believe Tori Huster was the one who invited her to a tryout of sorts which led to her playing for them this past Summer. See: http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2009/22299.html#STATS Part of the reason Burch isn't well known is she was a late bloomer. She's always had flashes of talent but the change to playing up for Ohio Elite's U18s last year (that, and her Junior year in HS) was the impetus to an amazing ascent. As Rohbino states, she is gifted athletically but it's also her willingness to take chances/risks and her comfort on the ball that have made her special. She's also pretty unselfish... It will be interesting... not a sure thing by any bet but I like her chances to make an impact her freshman year -- pretty bold statement given the unbelievable existing talent and the other incoming freshmen...
Yes, but not All college athletes have been named to this list. I'm sure she will do well in her college studies if you say she is doing well at St. Ursula but you have to agree College soccer competition(UNC) is a lot more demanding than High School and some clubs. I give her credit for being an integral playing on the U18 as a U-17 but her stats don't do her justice. http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org/ChampionshipsCenter.asp?SEASON=2009&AGE_GROUP=G-U18 I'm still going to take a wait and see approach. One thing that bothers me is why she isn't listed on the US National Team Roster. This leads me to believe she didn't make the team, quit trying to make the team or was disinterested in playing for her country. Again, IMO to be on the ALL DECADE TEAM a player should have some unbelievable STATS to back it up. Not just HIGH School Stats. Who knows what the competition was like and maybe just maybe she was padding her stats.
Tokonta, You're right, Liz is unpatriotic and has absolutely no desire to play for her country. <insert "tongue firmly implanted in cheek" graemlin here> Actually, playing for her country is a goal of hers (see link below, the 3rd paragraph from the bottom). In all honesty you are correct in taking a wait and see attitude. If you are unimpressed with her as a recruit, which you appear to be, go ahead and keep that same attitude. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. As far as your comment of "quit trying to make the team" is concerned; Liz does not know the meaning of "quit." I would think that you would give Anson a bit more credit than you are. If Liz were, indeed, a quitter, Anson would not have recruited her. You should go back and reread tmoto's comments about Liz above. He said it very clearly: she was a late bloomer. She did not show up on National radars early on because of this. She was not a big participant within ODP; a primary vehicle used for selecting National teams. Liz has only very recently started to find herself as a player and the best is yet to come. The raw athleticism was always there but needed to be refined and honed. That process will continue during her career as a Tarheel but I, and those that know what she is capable of, will not be surprised at all to see great things come from Liz. Anson could probably be included among those that believe in her. Hopefully she will make a believer out of you. To the statement "who knows what the competition was like." I, for one, know what the completion was like. Elizabeth's HS, SUA, plays in the largest HS division in Ohio - Division I. It is not a cakewalk. Ohio, as girl's soccer is concerned, has some of the toughest competition that can be found anywhere - particularly at the D I level. Again, top HS teams are never as good as top club teams but some of the top club teams are found here as well and Liz' club, OESA, routinely faces the top clubs from across the country. I think she knows what she is in for and I am confident she will be ready for it. http://sports.espn.go.com/highschool/rise/soccer/news/story?id=4484603
I know we all are getting excited about the next year's players coming in, but I agree with UNC4EVER that it's sad to see the 2009 senior players leave. I think they deserve one more round of applause because overall, they just might be the best cast ever assembled here. So, thanks to Engen for her ferocious attitude and great leadership qualities. Could anybody be better at that position? She's quite an athlete to be able to star at two positions. She will be a good pro. Thanks to Tobin for making it all come together. Her truly world class skills and determination helped to raise the level of play of her teammates. I'm sure we'll watch her on the NT level for several years. Thanks to Casey for just being unbelievable, especially when it counted the most. Just maybe she will be considered THE top player in the entire women's game worldwide in a couple of years. Thanks to Eveland for being so cool and calm under all sorts of offensive attacks. She intiated many quick plays upfield and frustrated so many opposing forwards. Thanks to Harris for those incredible saves and for being such a vocal leader in the net. I hope she's past her injuries and will get another shot at the NT. Thanks to Smith who came to UNC as a goal-scoring speedster, but changed her game due to injuries and was a big contributor. What a smooth, exciting technical player and a joy to watch. Thanks to Nikki for being such a versitile performer at both MF and F. She amped up the other players when she was in the game. Her speed would've helped us tremendously this year. I think she has great upside at the next level. Thanks to Moore, who provided a spark each time she came into the game. Thanks to Bonaparth, who overcame several injuries to contribute on the field and I'm told she was the psychological leader of the team. In my 16 years of being around the program and watching the Tar Heels, the 2009 team was special. Good luck to all you seniors. You deserve to hoist that trophy high and savor the fact that even the injuries and great opponents couldn't take it away from you. Thanks for the memories!
Thanks so much for that reminder. After every season we seem to be able to look forward to another, but we forget that for the seniors, their Carolina soccer careers are over. Best of luck to the ever so special class of 2010. Through the ups and downs, they pulled it together for a fantastic championship filled 4 years. Thanks, congrats, and good luck!!
REALLY sorry for double posting...but Tobin Heath just won USSoccer's Young Female Athlete of the Year http://www.ussoccer.com/Multimedia/Media-Center.aspx#/id=6cd13e0a-97a3-4fa4-b1e8-161c8dde4788 Congrats to her on an amazing season with Carolina and the US WNT
I will add that I think Casey proved herself a great player this year (again, after last year). I know at the end of the 2009 season she was great, but from the few games I saw earlier I think she added some intangibles that didn't get enough recognition. I remember one nationally televised game in which Tobin scored the first goal and many on this thread raved about her great goal. But, to my mind, the goal was set up by a brilliant through pass from Casey and was a piece of cake once the ball got to Tobin. There have been only a very few players over the years who have been able to ramp up their games for the tournament and score even better there than during the regular season. Casey has been one of them.
If you read Tony DiCicco's report from the U-20 world cup posted on one of these threads, he mentions that there needs to be a way to identify players who did not get shuffled every year through the ODP system and are potentially "late bloomers." UNC consistently gets the best recruits in the country, I doubt this is just some high school star that is going to fizzle out in college.
I am still taking a wait & see approach with the ECNL but they do have the id2 program and are supplementing that program to try to identify players that may have "slipped through the cracks." Top Drawer Soccer had a video in which of the ECNL officers spoke of this program in an interview. I tried to find the link to the interview to the clip but could not locate it.
I take it that you are no fan of the ECNL or the id2 program. I definitely am no proponent of the "Nationalized" version of the ECNL and definitely think that it should be regionalized.
I see that a 2010 thread has now been launched for the Tarheels. That says so much... To the 2009 players and families who haunt/participate in this site, THANK YOU so much for sharing your skills, time, and love-of-the-game with those of us who are fans! IMO, the 2006 ~2009 class may be the best this wonderful UNC progam has ever put on the field! Well done, ladies. As we move on to 2010, we will not forget you guys, and please don't you ever forget the great job you have done to raise the bar for everyone who will ever follow in your footsteps(cleats). Nice job! Best of luck, and thanks so much! It was a great four years!
I'll echo UNC4ever with thanks and gratitude to the 2009 team. If truth be known, I've been following UNC women's soccer since the first (pre-NCAA) championship, but it is only in this year (2009) where I have truly have become a fan! Yes, I was thrilled with each team as the years went by, and have many moments seared into my memory, but it was this team that hooked me with its many personalities, its overall level of skill, and it's very human (mid-season) struggles and overcoming them for the great finish. Many thanks for a new set of memories surrounding this special team.
while echoing the thanks to the 2009 team for a great year, I also wanted to congratulate Whitney on the Honda award! out of everyone in women's college soccer, she is most like the most underrated player, and I'm so glad she has finally been recognized. to all the seniors and players not returning, you will be missed. thanks!
Congratulations to Kelly O'Hara of Stanford for her being voted the winner of the Hermann trophy for 2009. While some of us were undoubtedly waiting to see if Tobs would finally capture the award, Kelly is entirely deserving. She had an outstanding season.
fyi to anyone who hasn't noticed quite yet, new thread for 2010 has already started up https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1275737&page=3
WOW, what a great coda on a rollercoaster season, and a brilliant 2006 freshman cohort: Four Heels (Heath, Engen, Washington, Nogueira) drafted among the first eight in the WPS first round today! I am especially happy to see Engen drafted as number four overall. (Belated congratulations to her also on the richly deserved Honda award!) She has worked so hard to earn these recognitions, and they just couldn't come to a more deserving gal. Congratulations and well done! I'm sure we'll see more Heels in the mix as the draft moves into the second round. Best of luck to all the Tarheel players graduating this year. This is a great way to end the season, and I'm looking forward to watching them in the WPS next year!
Yes she is, she was drafted by Chicago. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1275737&page=6 <---new thread, more info on the McDonald situation.
Wow! I had thought that the 2009 thread was dead, but this draft news is about the 2009 class. (And Jesse is in the 2009 class as she was recruited originally for the 2006 class.) So with Jesse it appears that 5 Tarheels went in the first round? ...and will more 2009 Heels be going too? (Cristi or, heaven forbid, Ali?)