Philadelphia, PA (Jan. 17, 2018)- The North Carolina Courage will participate in the 2018 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 10 a.m. ET at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention in Philadelphia.
The NC Courage has the 10th, 20th, 38th, 39th and 40th selections in the draft. The draft order is based upon each team’s performance at the conclusion of the 2018 regular season. Click here for a full list of players eligible for the 2018 NWSL College Draft.
Head Coach Paul Riley will be joined by President and GM Curt Johnson and technical advisor Charlie Naimo at the Courage’s table in Philadelphia. The trio will look to continue the excellence that was established by the 2017 squad in hopes of an even more successful 2018 season.
“The draft has turned into a really important event on the NWSL calendar,” said Riley. “Over the next 24 hours dreams will be made, and it’s almost the unofficial start of the 2018 season. Obviously the trade this week has changed our needs for the draft so now it’s all engines to go to find a player or two who fit our culture, identity and the positional characteristics we are looking for.”
The NC Courage brings back a core of its roster for 2018. In October, it was announced that 12 players from the 2017 NWSL Shield-winning season would return. Since then, four more players have been added to bring the total to 16. U.S. Women’s National Team standout and former UNC Tar Heel Crystal Dunn joins the Courage after a trade announcement with the Washington Spirit yesterday. Additionally, the re-signing of McCall Zerboni, Denise O’Sullivan and Meredith Speck was announced this morning.
The League will live stream the 2018 NWSL College Draft via Facebook, YouTube, NWSLSoccer.com and the NWSL app on Thursday beginning at 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT. Fans can watch the draft live by visiting: Facebook.com/NWSL and YouTube.com/NWSL.
Host Marisa Pilla, analyst Aly Wagner, analyst Jen Cooper and reporter Jordan Angeli will call the College Draft live from the Pennsylvania Convention Center, providing fans with the latest news, information and insight on each selection. They will also be joined on the live stream by the draft picks, NWSL head coaches and NWSL general managers as well as several special guests.
The NC Courage participated in its first NWSL College Draft on Jan. 12, 2017 after announcing the team’s move from Western New York just three days prior on Jan. 9. The team’s first draft selection in NC Courage history was BYU forward Ashley Hatch. Hatch went on to score seven goals in her rookie season and was named NWSL Rookie of the Year. Second pick (8th overall), UCLA’s Darian Jenkins, was placed on the injury list during the entirety of the 2017 season, but was recently called to participate in the U23 USWNT January Camp in Carson, Calif.
Additionally, the NC Courage drafted Clemson’s Claire Wagner and Nebraska’s Jaycie Johnson as the 20th and 27th picks respectively.
The NC Courage return to Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. this spring. Season Tickets and Flex Plans are on sale now, and fans can secure 2018 Season Tickets for $50 down. Call 919-459-8144 or visit www.nccourage.com to purchase your tickets for our highly anticipated 2018 NWSL Season.
About North Carolina Courage
The North Carolina Courage is a Division I professional women’s soccer team that plays in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The NC Courage, the reigning NWSL Shield Winners, plays its home games at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. For more information, please visit www.www.nccourage.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
