North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer
Encyclopedia
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
in the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
of NCAA Division I soccer. The team has won 20 of the 22 Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
championships, and 20 of the 28 NCAA national championships
NCAA Women's Soccer Championship
NCAA Women's Soccer Championships are divided into three divisions. This article lists NCAA Women's soccer championships.-Division I:The NCAA began conducting a Women's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1982 with a 12-team tournament...
.
History
The UNC women's soccer team began as a club team established by students looking for high level competition. In 1977, 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 by the team, then coached by Mike Byers to recommend 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 WomenAssociation for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships. It evolved out of the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women . The association was one of the biggest...
, at the prompting of Dorrance and University of Colorado coach, Chris Lidstone, established a national women's soccer program. 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." 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.
All-Time Record
| Year | Head Coach | Overall | ACC | ACC Tournament | NCAA Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Anson Dorrance Anson Dorrance Anson Dorrance is the head coach of the women's soccer program at the University of North Carolina. He has one of the most successful coaching records in the history of athletics. Under Dorrance's leadership, the Tar Heels have won 20 of the 28 NCAA Women's Soccer Championships... |
10-2-0 | - | - | - |
| 1980 | 21-5-0 | - | - | AIAW Semifinals | |
| 1981 | 23-0-0 | - | - | AIAW Champions | |
| 1982 | 19-2-0 | - | - | Champions | |
| 1983 | 19-1-0 | - | - | Champions | |
| 1984 | 24-0-1 | - | - | Champions | |
| 1985 | 18-2-1 | - | - | Runner Up | |
| 1986 | 24-0-1 | - | - | Champions | |
| 1987 | 23-0-1 | 3-0-0 | - | Champions | |
| 1988 | 18-0-3 | 1-0-1 | Runner Up | Champions | |
| 1989 | 24-0-1 | 4-0-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 1990 | 20-1-1 | 4-0-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 1991 | 24-0-0 | 4-0-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 1992 | 25-0-0 | 4-0-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 1993 | 23-0-0 | 4-0-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 1994 | 25-1-1 | 5-1-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 1995 | 25-1-0 | 7-0-0 | Champions | Semifinals | |
| 1996 | 25-1-0 | 7-0-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 1997 | 27-0-1 | 7-0-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 1998 | 25-1-0 | 7-0-0 | Champions | Runner Up | |
| 1999 | 24-2-0 | 7-0-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 2000 | 21-3-0 | 4-3-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 2001 | 24-1-0 | 7-0-0 | Champions | Runner Up | |
| 2002 | 21-2-4 | 4-1-2 | Champions | Semifinals | |
| 2003 | 27-0-0 | 7-0-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 2004 | 20-1-2 | 9-0-0 | Runner Up | Third Round | |
| 2005 | 23-1-1 | 9-1-0 | Champions | Quarterfinals | |
| 2006 | 27-1-0 | 10-0-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 2007 | 19-5-1 | 9-1-0 | Champions | Third Round | |
| 2008 | 25-1-2 | 9-0-1 | Champions | Champions | |
| 2009 | 23-3-1 | 9-3-0 | Champions | Champions | |
| 2010 | 19-3-2 | 9-3-0 | Semifinalists | Third Round | |
Individual honors
National Coach of the Year:- Anson DorranceAnson DorranceAnson Dorrance is the head coach of the women's soccer program at the University of North Carolina. He has one of the most successful coaching records in the history of athletics. Under Dorrance's leadership, the Tar Heels have won 20 of the 28 NCAA Women's Soccer Championships...
- 1982, 1986, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006
ACC Coach of the Year:
- Anson Dorrance - 1982, 1986, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006
Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...
:
- Shannon Higgins - 1989
- Kristine LillyKristine LillyKristine Marie Lilly Heavey is a retired American soccer player who last played for Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer and was a member of the United States women's national soccer team for 24 years...
- 1991 - Mia HammMia HammMariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm is a retired American soccer player. Hamm played many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team and was a founding member of the Washington Freedom. Hamm has scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male or female,...
- 1992, 1993 - Tisha VenturiniTisha VenturiniTisha Venturini-Hoch is a former American soccer player and current National Spokesperson for Produce for Better Health.-Career:...
- 1994 - Cindy Parlow - 1997, 1998
- Cat ReddickCat WhitehillCat Whitehill is an American soccer player. She plays as a defender for the Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer and the United States women's national soccer team, and formerly played on the Washington Freedom W-League team.She was born in Richmond, Virginia, but grew up in Birmingham,...
- 2003
ACC Player of the Year:
- Mia Hamm - 1990, 1992, 1993
- Cindy Parlow - 1998
ACC Offensive Player of the Year:
- Heather O'ReillyHeather O'ReillyHeather Ann O'Reilly , also known by her initials HAO, is a member of the United States women's national soccer team and a two-time Olympic Gold medalist...
- 2005 - Yael Averbuch - 2006
ACC Rookie of the Year:
- Tisha Venturini - 1991
- Cindy Parlow - 1995
- Laurie Schway - 1996
- Lindsay TarpleyLindsay TarpleyLindsay Ann Tarpley Snow is an American soccer forward currently playing for magicJack of Women's Professional Soccer and is a member of the United States women's national soccer team. She went to Portage Central High School.-High school:Tarpley grew up in Portage, Michigan, and attended Portage...
- 2002
NCAA Tournament MVP:
- April Heinrichs - 1984 (last year overall MVP named)
Offensive Player of the NCAA Tournament:
- April Heinrichs - 1985, 1986
- Kristine Lilly - 1989, 1990
- Mia Hamm - 1992, 1993
- Tisha Venturini - 1994
- Debbie Keller - 1996
- Robin Confer - 1997
- Susan Bush - 1999
- Meredith Florance - 2000
- Heather O’Reilly - 2003, 2006
Defensive Player of the Tournament:
- Suzy Cobb - 1983
- Carla Overbeck - 1988
- Tracy Bates - 1989
- Tisha Venturini - 1991
- Staci WilsonStaci WilsonStaci Wilson is an American soccer player and olympic champion.She received a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta....
- 1994 - Nel Fettig - 1996
- Siri MullinixSiri MullinixSiri Lynn Mullinix is an American soccer goalkeeper. As keeper for the 2000 U.S. women's Olympic soccer team, she recorded two shutouts helping the team win the silver medal...
- 1997 - Lorrie FairLorrie FairLorraine Ming "Lorrie" Fair was a member of the World Cup Champion United States national soccer team. Over the span of ten years, she was a part of one World Cup Team and three Olympic teams, and retired from international play in 2005.Her twin sister, Veronica Ching Fair, was also a member of...
- 1999 - Cat Reddick - 2000, 2003
- Robin Gayle - 2006
First Team All America Selection: As of 2006, North Carolina had 62 players gain first-team All American recognition. The next two schools with the greatest number of All Americans were tied with twenty-two each.