North Carolina Courage U23
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = North Carolina Courage U23
| image =
| upright = 0.65
| fullname =
| nickname =
| founded = {{start date and age|2022|01|27}}
| stadium = WakeMed Soccer Park
Cary, North Carolina, United States
| capacity =
| owntitle =
| owner =
| chrtitle =
| chairman =
| mgrtitle = Head coach
| manager = Willie Davis
| league = USL W League
| season = 2024
| position = {{Ubl
| 1st of 6 (South Atlantic div.)
| Champions (Southern Conf.)
| Finalists (National playoffs)}}
| current = 2024 USL W League season
| American = true
| website =
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| body1 = 002b46
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| pattern_la2 = _zurich2122h
| pattern_b2 = _nikeparkderby3ww
| pattern_ra2 = _zurich2122h
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! colspan="5" style="font-size:125%; background:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;"|Active teams of North Carolina FC |
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! NWSL ! USL2 ! USLW ! Youth |
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North Carolina Courage U23, also known as North Carolina Courage USL W, is an amateur women's soccer team that plays in the USL W League. It is affiliated and shares ownership with the professional team North Carolina Courage, which competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
History
In January 2022, NWSL club North Carolina Courage added an amateur team to compete in the newly formed W League,{{cite press release |url=https://www.nccourage.com/news/usl-welcomes-nc-courage-u23s-to-w-league/ |title=USL Welcomes NC Courage U23s to W League |date=January 27, 2022 |access-date=June 9, 2023 |publisher=North Carolina Courage}} becoming the second NWSL club to do so after Racing Louisville FC earlier that month.{{cite news |url=https://justwomenssports.com/reads/nwsl-usl-soccer-racing-louisville-w-league-team/ |title=Racing Louisville first NWSL team to expand into USL W League |date=January 18, 2022 |access-date=June 9, 2023 |work=Just Women's Sports |first=Emma |last=Hruby}}
In the 2023 USL W League season, the Courage U23s went undefeated with an {{win-loss record|w=11|d=1|l=0}} record to win the South Atlantic division, then defeated FC Miami City and Tampa Bay United in consecutive 3–0 victories to win the Southern Conference championship and advance to the national championship semifinals.{{cite press release |url=https://www.nccourage.com/news/champs-courage-u23-win-usl-w-conference-title/ |title=CHAMPS! Courage U23 win USL-W conference title |date=July 8, 2023 |access-date=July 15, 2023 |publisher=North Carolina Courage}} After defeating Eagle FC 4–1, the Courage U23s advanced to the national finals for the first time in club history, facing Indy Eleven, where they lost 2–1 in overtime.{{cite news |url=https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/96715/usl-w-league-indy-eleven-and-nc-courage-u23-move.html |title=USL W League: Indy Eleven and NC Courage U23 move into final |date=July 14, 2023 |access-date=July 15, 2023 |work=Soccer America |url-access=registration}}{{cite news|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2023/07/22/usl-w-league-indy-eleven-beats-nc-courage-u23-for-championship-alia-martin-goal/70419597007/|title=Indy Eleven W League rallies around injured teammate, wins championship on wonder-goal|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|date=2023-07-22|url-access=subscription}} Former USWNT player Heather O'Reilly joined the team as a player and coach that season.{{cite news|url=https://justwomenssports.com/reads/uswnt-usl-w-league-heather-oreilly-unretired-2023/|title=USWNT Great Heather O'Reilly Stays Unretired With USL W League|date=2023-05-19|last=Hruby|first=Emma|website=Just Women's Sports|access-date=2024-05-17}}{{cite news|url=https://restorationnewsmedia.com/articles/wakeweekly/former-huskies-winning-growing-with-courage-u23s/|title=Former Huskies winning, growing with Courage U23s|last=Schnittker|first=Nicholas|date=2023-07-08|newspaper=The Wake Weekly|access-date=2024-05-17}}
File:NC Courage U23 (June 2024) 002 (cropped).jpg, the most valuable player of the 2024 USL W League final{{cite tweet|number=1814833147311210826|user=USLWLeague|author=USL W League|author-link=USL W League|date=2024-07-20|title=M. V. P. 🥳👏|access-date=2024-07-21}}]]
The Courage U23s returned to the national final with a 14–0–1 in the 2024 season.{{cite news|url=https://www.uslwleague.com/news_article/show/1314338|title=2024 USL W League Final Preview: NC Courage U23 vs. Colorado Storm|date=2024-07-19|publisher=USL W League|access-date=2024-07-21}} They defeated the Colorado Storm in a 3–2 comeback victory at WRAL Soccer Park in Raleigh.{{cite news|url=https://www.uslwleague.com/news_article/show/1314470|title=NC Courage U23 claims 2024 USL W League title after second-half comeback|date=2024-07-20|publisher=USL W League|access-date=2024-07-21}}
Stadium
Players
{{see also|Category:North Carolina Courage U23 players}}
{{Updated|May 17, 2024}}
| class="wikitable"
|+ Roster | ||
| style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" | {{abbr|Pos.|Position}}
! style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" | Name ! style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" | Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| GK | MK Daly | Dartmouth |
| GK | Emily Edwards | Purdue |
| DF | Aven Alvarez | North Carolina |
| DF | Bella Ayscue | Penn State |
| DF | Amber Brooks | (Washington Spirit) |
| DF | Taylor Chism | NC State |
| DF | Kayleigh Herr | Penn State |
| DF | Brooklyn Holt | NC State |
| MF | Gabby Ciocca | Virginia Tech |
| MF | Braelynn Francher | UNC Charlotte |
| MF | Baylor Goldthwaite | Wake Forest |
| MF | Phoebe Goldthwaite | Duke |
| MF | Lauren Martinho | Duke |
| MF | Cazzi Norgren | Missouri State |
| MF | Bella Sember | North Carolina |
| FW | Macey Bader | UNC Charlotte |
| FW | Ivy Gardner | Liberty |
| FW | Mackenzie Geigle | Louisville |
| FW | Hannah Jibril | NC State |
| FW | Mia Oliaro | Duke |
| FW | Lexi Strickland | NC State |
| FW | Alyssa Tucker | Campbell |
Staff
= Coaching history =
- 2022–: {{flagicon|USA}} Willie Davis
Year-by-year
{{updated|July 21, 2024}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | Season
! rowspan=2 style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | League ! rowspan=2 style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | Division ! colspan=9 style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="colgroup" | Regular season ! rowspan=2 style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | Playoffs ! rowspan=2 style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | Top goalscorer ! rowspan=2 style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | {{abbr|Ref.|References}} |
|---|
| style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | {{abbr|P|Games played}}
! style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | {{abbr|W|Wins}} ! style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | {{abbr|D|Draws}} ! style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | {{abbr|L|Losses}} ! style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | {{abbr|GF|Goals for}} ! style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | {{abbr|GA|Goals against}} ! style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | {{abbr|GD|Goals differential}} ! style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | {{abbr|Pts.|Points}} ! style="background-color:#01426A; color:#fff; border:2px solid #B9A36A;" scope="col" | {{abbr|Pos.|Position}} |
| scope="row" | {{center|2022}}
| rowspan=3 | USL W || South Atlantic | 12 || 6||2||4 || 24||14||+10 || 22 || 2nd | Did not qualify | Emily Sapienza (5) |{{cite web |url=https://www.uslwleague.com/standings-2022 |title=Standings |publisher=USL W League |access-date=June 9, 2023}} |
| scope="row" | {{center|2023}}
| South Atlantic | 12 || 11||1||0 || 46||7||+39 || 34 ||bgcolor="B3B7FF"| 1st |bgcolor=silver| Finals | Izzy Brown (8) |{{cite web |url=https://www.uslwleague.com/league-standings |title=Standings |publisher=USL W League |access-date=July 15, 2023}} |
| scope="row" | {{center|2024}}
| South Atlantic | 12 || 11 || 1 || 0 || 56 || 6 || +50 || 34 ||bgcolor="B3B7FF"| 1st |bgcolor=gold| Champions | Mackenzie Geigle, Macey Bader (8) |{{cite web |url=https://www.uslwleague.com/news_article/show/1314470 |title=NC Courage U23 claims 2024 USL W League title after second-half comeback |publisher=USL W League |access-date=July 21, 2024}} |
References
{{reflist}}
{{North Carolina Courage}}
{{USL W League}}
Category:Women's soccer clubs in the United States
Category:Soccer clubs in North Carolina
Category:2022 establishments in North Carolina
Category:Association football clubs established in 2022