North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer

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North Carolina Tar Heels
women's soccer
Soccerball current event.svg 2025 North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team
North Carolina Tar Heels logo.svg
Founded1979;46 years ago (1979) [1]
University University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Head coach Damon Nahas (2nd season)
Conference ACC
Location Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Stadium Dorrance Field
(Capacity: 4,200)
Nickname Tar Heels
ColorsCarolina blue and white [2]
   
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Home
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Away
NCAA Tournament championships
1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2024
NCAA Tournament runner-up
1985, 1998, 2001, 2018, 2019, 2022
NCAA Tournament Semifinals
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024
NCAA Tournament appearances
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 [3]
Conference Tournament championships
1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2017, 2019
Conference Regular Season championships
1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022

The North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I soccer. [4]

Contents

North Carolina is one of the most successful women's college soccer teams, having won 22 of the 36 Atlantic Coast Conference championships, and 23 of the 43 NCAA national championships. The team has participated in every NCAA tournament. [5]

History

The UNC women's soccer team began as a club team established by students looking for high level competition. In 1979, [1] they petitioned the UNC Athletic Director, Bill Cobey, to take the club to the varsity level. Cobey asked Anson Dorrance, then the UNC men's soccer coach to assess the club's ability to transition to varsity status. Dorrance was impressed enough by the club, then coached by Mike Byers, to recommend that the school form a women's soccer team. Cobey agreed and hired Dorrance as head coach, with Byers as an assistant, for the 1978 season. That year, the Tar Heels played an essentially club schedule, including games against high school teams. However, in 1979, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, at the prompting of Dorrance and University of Colorado coach, Chris Lidstone, established a national women's soccer program. [6]

North Carolina Tar Heels celebrate winning the 2006 Women's College Cup North Carolina Tar Heels 2006 College Cup Champions.jpg
North Carolina Tar Heels celebrate winning the 2006 Women's College Cup

At the time, UNC had the only varsity women's soccer team in the Southeast and this allowed Dorrance to recruit the top talent in the region. In 1981, he recruited one of the most talented freshman squads in the history of women's soccer. Eight of those recruits won starting positions and took the team to the first, and only, AIAW national championship. This group would set the tone for Tar Heels soccer for down through its history. As Dorrance recalls it, "These were the true pioneers. They were given nothing. They were accustomed to taking things and so they weren't as genteel as the sort of young ladies we can recruit now. . . They were the sort of girls who would go downtown, burn it to the ground, . . . But then, they were on time for every single practice and in practice they worked themselves until they were bleeding and throwing up. They had a tremendous commitment to victory and to personal athletic excellence. And for that I admired them because they were a tremendous group. And even though, off the field, I think they all hated each other. But once the game began, there was a collective fury that just intimidated everyone they played against." [7] Building on that competitive drive, the Tar Heels went on to win the first three NCAA championships, and dominate the sport for years to come.

Players

Current roster

As of August 8, 2025 [8]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
0 GK Flag of Jamaica.svg  JAM Liya Brooks
1 GK Flag of Germany.svg  GER Hannah Johann
2 MF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Eden Bretzer
3 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Jenny Dearie
4 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Aven Alvarez
5 DF Flag of the Netherlands.svg  NED Djem Koppelaar
6 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Riley Kennedy
7 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Linda Ullmark
8 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Bella Gaetino
9 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Hope Munson
10 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Della Devey
11 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Eres Freifeld
12 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ryann Brown
13 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Kate Faasse
No.Pos.NationPlayer
15 GK Flag of Germany.svg  GER Emilie Maihs
16 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Camie Maynor
17 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Caitlin Mara
18 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Lauren Malson
20 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ashley Pennie
21 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Marisa Shorrock
23 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Raegan Williams
25 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Logan Tongberg
31 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ella Smith
33 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Olivia Thomas
34 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Tessa Dellarose
40 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Abby Gundry
43 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Shaela Bradley

All-time record

YearHead coachOverallACCACC
tourn.		NCAA
tourn.
1979  Anson Dorrance  10–2–0–––
198021–5–0––AIAW Semifinals
198123–0–0––AIAW Champions
198219–2–0––Champions
198319–1–0––Champions
198424–0–1––Champions
198518–2–1––Runner up
198624–0–1––Champions
198723–0–13–0–0–Champions
198818–0–31–0–1Runner upChampions
198924–0–14–0–0ChampionsChampions
199020–1–14–0–0ChampionsChampions
199124–0–04–0–0ChampionsChampions
199225–0–04–0–0ChampionsChampions
199323–0–04–0–0ChampionsChampions
199425–1–15–1–0ChampionsChampions
199525–1–07–0–0ChampionsSemifinals
199625–1–07–0–0ChampionsChampions
199727–0–17–0–0ChampionsChampions
199825–1–07–0–0ChampionsRunner up
199924–2–07–0–0ChampionsChampions
200021–3–04–3–0ChampionsChampions
200124–1–07–0–0ChampionsRunner up
200221–2–44–1–2ChampionsSemifinals
200327–0–07–0–0ChampionsChampions
200420–1–29–0–0Runner upThird round
200523–1–19–1–0ChampionsQuarterfinals
200627–1–010–0–0ChampionsChampions
200719–4–19–1–0ChampionsThird round
200825–1–29–0–1ChampionsChampions
200923–3–19–3–0ChampionsChampions
201019–3–29–3–0SemifinalsThird round
201113–5–26–3–1QuarterfinalsThird round
201215–5–36–3–1QuarterfinalsChampions
201320–5–010–3–0SemifinalsQuarterfinals
201414–4–29–0–1SemifinalsThird round
201515–5–17–3–0SemifinalsSecond round
201617–4–46–2–2Runner upSemifinals
201717–3–28–0–2ChampionsThird round
201821–4–210–0–0Runner upRunner up
2019 24–1–29–0–1ChampionsRunner up
2020 18–2–08–0–0Runner upSemifinals
2021 12–3–35–2–3—First round
2022 20–5–18–2–0Runner upRunner up
2023 13–2–85–0–5QuarterfinalsQuarterfinals
2024 Damon Nahas 22–5–07–3–0Runner upChampions

Team Honours

National

Conference

Individual honors

National Coach of the Year

ACC Coach of the Year

Hermann Trophy

Mia Hamm won numerous awards with the Tar Heels Mia Hamm signing an autograph.jpg
Mia Hamm won numerous awards with the Tar Heels

ACC Player of the Year

ACC Defensive Player of the Year

ACC Offensive Player of the Year

Yael Averbuch, ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 Yael Averbuch with flag.jpg
Yael Averbuch, ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2006

ACC Rookie of the Year

NCAA Tournament MVP

Offensive Player of the NCAA Tournament

Defensive Player of the Tournament

First Team All-America Selection

As of 2011, North Carolina had 70 players gain first-team All-American recognition. The next two schools with the greatest number of All-Americans were tied with twenty-two each. [9]

Retired numbers

19 – Flag of the United States.svg Mia Hamm, forward, 1989–1993. Number retired in 19941. [10] [11]

Notable alumnae

References

  1. 1 2 The History of Carolina Women's Soccer by Dave Lohse – UNC, 5 Aug 2000
  2. ↑ "Primary Identity" (PDF). Carolina Athletics Brand Identity Guidelines. April 20, 2015. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  3. ↑ "2009 North Carolina Women's Soccer Media Guide." "tarheelblue.com." Retrieved on May 20, 2010.
  4. ↑ "2007 North Carolina Women's Soccer Media Guide." tarheelblue.com. Retrieved on March 23, 2009.
  5. ↑ 2024 Women's Record Book on goheels.com
  6. ↑ EXPLAINING VARIATION IN THE SEX COMPOSITION OF COACHES FOR WOMEN’S INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC TEAMS [ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ Interview with Anson Dorrance, June 11, 1991
  8. ↑ "2025 Women's Soccer Roster". University of North Carolina Athletics. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Official 2012 NCAA Men's and Women's Soccer Records Book." ncaa.org. Retrieved on March 23, 2008.
  10. ↑ Mia Hamm profile on NC Soccer Hall of Fame
  11. ↑ Feet of gold on ESPN.com
  12. ↑ "2024 Roster & Pronunciation Guide" on 2025 Women's soccer record book – UNC Athletics
  13. ↑ "NO GAME IS TOO FAR (1992): Egan, Santana drive 350 miles to play". Front Row Soccer.
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