2017 Roundup – UNC Womens Soccer
Fall is upon us, and with that means a new Freshman class at UNC. With the smartest kids in the country descending upon Chapel Hill, so will some of the most athletic. UNC women’s soccer is a dynasty unmatched in collegiate sports, and their freshman class lives up to this reputation. The UNC women’s soccer team will be bringing in nine girls to round out the freshman class.
The majority of the nine incoming freshman players hail from the great state of North Carolina, while two of the players come from outside of the US. Carrboro High School is the breeding ground of two of the nine recruits, making it the only local high school to land girls on the roster. Historically, Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill have been a breeding ground for UNC walk ons, but no former East or Chapel Hill players have made the 2017 team.
Lotte Wubben-Moy: The 5’10 center back is a force to reckon with, having made 35 international appearances for England and 12 for the Arsenal Ladies. Wubben-Moy is a London, England native, and will be enrolling at UNC in August.
Alea Hyatt: Santa Barbara, CA native Alea Hyatt is a U18 Women’s National Team member. She stands at 5’9 and joins her brother who plays for Stanford University as the second collegiate soccer player in her family. She was also a kicker on her high school football team.
Laura Sparling: Laura is a former Carrboro high school attendee where she had 19 goals and 27 assists throughout her high school career. The 5’5 midfielder/forward was an All-State honoree and three-time NCHSAA 2A champion.
Alessia Russo: Alessia Russo is the second incoming recruit hailing from the UK. The 5’9 Russo is from Maidstone, Kent, England, and she has played for England since the U15 level where she has scored 23 goals overall.
Sydney Spruill: Greenville, NC native Sydney Spruill has been enrolled at Carolina since January. She has played for multiple clubs in the area, including CASL which has a history of being a feeder club to UNC.
Sam DeSantis: Sam DeSantis is a sophomore at UNC, and will be joining the soccer team this fall for her first season. The Goalkeeper stands at 5’7 and is a Hickory, NC native. She had a 3.94 GPA her freshman year at Carolina.
Emily Fox: This is not the first time freshman Emily Fox will be playing alongside her UNC teammates. The freshman started at Carolina in January, and fellow Carolina players Jessie Scarpa and Taylor Otto played with Fox at the U20 World Cup in Papau, New Guinea. Fox has been with the U20 national team since 2015. Fox is from Ashburn, VA.
Miah Araba: Carrboro high school’s second contribution to the UNC women’s soccer team is Miah Araba, who was the valedictorian of the 2017 class. She is a three-time 2A NCHSAA state champion, and in 47 career games, she was scored 54 goals.
Brooke Bingham: Laurel Springs, NC based recruit Brooke Bingham enrolled at UNC this past January. The 5’9 player chose to practice with a boy’s team instead of playing high school soccer.
The freshman class will not be the only change coming to the UNC women’s team. The university finalized funding for an entirely new soccer stadium, and the demolishment of Fetzer field has begun. The new stadium will cost $55 million, and will attach via an East-West concourse to the new indoor and outdoor football practice facilities that are also being built. The total bill for these renovations is rumored to approach $98 million. The 2017 recruiting class paired with UNC’s amazing track record and incoming brand new facilities should surely be enough to keep the dynasty going.
This post is sponsored and supported by North Raleigh Dentist’s Office Wainright & Wassel.
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