Six members of the North Carolina women’s soccer team were awarded All-ACC honors after the conclusion of the team's regular season. Head coach Anson Dorrance and first-year defender Maycee Bell headlined yet another year in which Tar Heels took home hardware at the conference level.
Dorrance was awarded ACC Coach of the Year for the 12th time in his tenure at UNC, while Bell was named Freshman of the Year. Bell is the third Tar Heel to win the award in four years, highlighting Dorrance’s propensity to play and start younger players he deems ready for the challenge.
While Dorrance’s achievements have been well-documented, Bell’s play in her first year at UNC has been paramount for the Tar Heels’ success. In the first game of her collegiate career, she joined one of the nation’s best back lines and began contributing immediately. Her contribution to a defensive unit that has posted 16 shutouts in 20 games this season has been vital to her team’s success.
Three UNC players were also named to first-team All-ACC, each one making a repeat appearance on the list. Forward Alessia Russo was named to the first team for the third year in a row, while both midfielder Brianna Pinto and defender Emily Fox were named to the team for a second time.
The duo of Pinto and Russo have combined for 18 goals this season, while Fox has helped anchor the Tar Heels’ stout defensive unit.
Maycee Bell was also named second-team All-ACC alongside fellow defender junior Lotte Wubben-Moy, and junior midfielder Tyler Otto was named third-team All-ACC in conjunction with first-year forward Isabel Cox to round out another year of accolades for Dorrance’s program.
The Tar Heels posted a 16-1-1 record in the regular season, and defeated Virginia 2-1 in double overtime on Sunday to capture the ACC Championship. They will look to avenge a loss to Florida State in last year's NCAA championship game.
