UNC Women's Soccer 2026-2027

Jriv23

All-Conference
Jul 31, 2025
1,882
1,974
113
I love it. As I stated before that is a lot of players from UNC. Our depth should be tremendous this coming year. Damon should be able to keep our players fresh this year by subbing them in and out which should bold well by putting constant pressure on the defensive with all of the depth that we are going to have. There is no way a player on this year's team should be playing all the minutes thereby wearing that player down when post season starts. Go Heels!
 

JohnnyYen

Sophomore
Aug 4, 2025
91
174
33
How did we let Herr get away? I don't think that she is particularly fast and uses all sides of her right foot (at the expense of her left), but she was an absolute brick wall through that whole tournament.
 

bradarb08

Senior
Aug 1, 2025
284
666
93
How did we let Herr get away? I don't think that she is particularly fast and uses all sides of her right foot (at the expense of her left), but she was an absolute brick wall through that whole tournament.
Well, she sat behind Tori Hansen and Maycee Bell her freshman year and Maycee Bell and Savy King her sophomore year... she wasn't getting any time because they weren't subbing any of those center backs out... and then she left with the huge exodus of players...
 

Jriv23

All-Conference
Jul 31, 2025
1,882
1,974
113
See this is why I said Damon is going to have to play and sub those center backs out. We have too much talent for him to do this this year; otherwise, we might have the same thing happened again at the end of next year.
 

Anon182318

Redshirt
May 18, 2026
3
6
0
So is Gaetino the starting 9 this year? I watched her a bit at TST. Or will Malsom be put there intstead?

I don't know as much about Deus. More of a forward or a 10?
 

3397char

All-American
Moderator
Jun 30, 2025
3,149
6,493
113
So is Gaetino the starting 9 this year? I watched her a bit at TST. Or will Malsom be put there intstead?

I don't know as much about Deus. More of a forward or a 10?
Interesting question; I had not considered Gaeitino as center striker. Did she play this role at TST? she is still listed as a defender on our roster, but we do have depth and flexibility there.

Here are the players on our spring roster listed as Forwards or hybrid midfield/forwards. I have roughly ranked them in my opinion of the likelihood they would start as a center forward.
  1. 5-6 So MF/F Lauren Malsom (7 starts, 10 SH, 4 G, mostly in an attacking MF role, but was considered a center forward on the prep level )
  2. 5-7 So MF/F Bella Devey (starter as attacking MF/wing, 48 SH, 5 G)
  3. 5-3 Sr MF/F Lilliah Blum (Utah starter 43 SH, 4 G, from MF and wing F)
  4. 5-10 Fr F Leah Kuklick (unranked out of HS)
  5. 5-7 Jr F Logan Tongberg (deep bench last season)
  6. 5-9 So F Jenny Dearie (deep bench last season)
  7. 5-4 Sr MF/F Ella Smith (deep bench last season)
Incoming Freshmen listed by recruiting services as F or MF/F:
  1. 5-6 Amari Manning #24
  2. 5-7 Samantha Rich #74
  3. 5-5 Maggie Currie #84
  4. 5-4 Wylie Roosien (Unranked)
I am a big believer in a strong, tall center striker who can fend of physical play and provides a large foot and header radius to put home crosses and through balls. Sometimes called a target striker or target man, in D1 women we are talking 5'10:+

But that is obviously not the only way to go, many (most?) D1 teams start a more dynamic 5-6 to 5-9 striker more focused on speed and 1v1 skills. We simply do not have the former type of player on this roster it seems. So will will likely be fielding the latter. In general, this will be the smallest UNC team I can remember. At just about every position (even GK, lol).

Other options:
  • 5-5 MF Fr Deus Stanislaus is listed as a MF on the UNC roster, but given the hole we need to fill, she cannot be ruled out,
  • 5-4 MF Fr Scottie Antonucci is kind of the same: listed on our roster as a MF, but a serious talent and she will likely earn a place on the field.
  • 5-8 Jr D Bella Gaetino is perhaps the best mix of size, strength and proven talent on the entire roster.
So that is a lot of words to say I have no idea. I like the Gaetino idea. Seems like Deus and Antonucci will be on the field somewhere. The true forwards on this team with some size are either unheralded recruits or did not crack the rotation at all last season, that of course could change. But assuming they don't earn a starting role we will be playing a small-ish or straight up small center striker.
 
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