Cary, NC (March 19, 2018)- The ****North Carolina Courage announced today its updated roster for the 2018 NWSL Season as the team sits just five days out from its home opener.
After a 3-0 preseason victory over the Washington Spirit on Saturday, March 17, the NC Courage are looking ahead to Saturday’s upcoming NWSL Championship rematch against the Portland Thorns on March 24. The current 2018 roster is made up of 17 returning contracted players from the Courage’s 2017 NWSL Shield-winning season. Two major offseason acquisitions (Crystal Dunn and Merritt Mathias), two additions from the 2018 NWSL Dispersal Draft (Allysha Chapman and Julie King), one draftee (Frannie Crouse), and one preseason invitee (Kaleigh Kurtz) make up the remaining six spots. The following players currently do not count towards the roster limit. Due to injury, Yuri Kawamura will be on the 45-day disabled list for the start of the 2018 season. Doniak had surgery on a torn ACL in her left knee, an injury she suffered in the first week of preseason, and will therefore be placed on the season-ending injury list. Additionally, Chapman and King do not count towards the active roster limit after being selected by the team in the 2018 Dispersal Draft. One spot remains open on the NC Courage’s active roster, and there continues to be competition for that spot. The NC Courage retains the NWSL rights to its 2018 College Draft picks. Among those players are Becca Rasmussen, Morgan Reid, who is continuing classes at Duke University, Carlin Hudson, who is continuing classes at Yale University and Ryan Williams, all of whom could be signed at a later date. Rasmussen, Reid, and Williams will continue to train with the team. Below is the team’s most updated roster.
NC Courage Roster
(23 out of 20 spots filled)
Goalkeepers (2): Sabrina D’Angelo (FED-CAN), Katelyn Rowland
Defenders (8): Abby Erceg (INTL-NZ), Abby Dahlkemper (FED-USA), Jaelene Hinkle, Merritt Mathias, Allysha Chapman (FED-CAN/DD), Kaleigh Kurtz, Julie King (DD), Yuri Kawamura (INTL-JPN/D45)
Midfielders (7): McCall Zerboni, Samantha Mewis (FED-USA), Denise O’Sullivan (INTL-IRL), Debinha (INTL-BRA), Elizabeth Eddy, Meredith Speck, Makenzy Doniak (SEI)
Forwards (6): Lynn Williams (FED-USA), Crystal Dunn (FED-USA), Jessica McDonald, Darian Jenkins, Kristen Hamilton, Frannie Crouse
Federation Players (FED): 6 International Roster Spots Filled (INTL): 4
Key:
ACTIVE ROSTER: FED – Federation Player INTL – International Roster Spot ROSTERED PLAYERS NOT COUNTED AGAINST ACTIVE LIMIT: D45 – 45-Day Disabled List SEI – Season Ending Injury List NTR – National Team Replacement GKR – Goalkeeper Replacement MAT – Maternity LOA – Loan PEN – Pending DD – Dispersal Draft The NC Courage will open their highly-anticipated sophomore season at home in an NWSL Championship rematch against the Portland Thorns in the NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 24 at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park. Tickets to the home opener are on sale now! Call 919-459-8144 or click here to purchase your tickets.
