By Maggie Frail

On October 14, 2017, the North Carolina Courage, the North Carolina women’s professional soccer team, lost 1-0 to the Portland Thorns in the National Womens Soccer League (NWSL) Championship. This year the Courage got their redemption for that loss by beating the Thorns 3-0 in the Championship game.

   The Courage were ranked number one throughout the season having a 17-1-6 record, which was better than any other team in the league, and had four players named to the NWSL Best XI.

   This is the second year the team has been known as the North Carolina Courage as they were formally known as the Western New York Flash. In 2017 the team was re branded and moved from Rochester, New York to Cary, North Carolina and have stayed on top since the move.

   Head Reynolds women’s soccer coach Thomas Moore has another idea as to why this team was so successful this season besides the talent that each player possesses.

   “[Their manager] Paul Riley had lifted the NWSL trophy 3 previous times prior to last season.” Moore said. “With talented players and a championship coach, it is not hard to see why they were so good and so consistent all season.”

   This season head coach Paul Riley and the Courage had: NWSL record wins (17), 57 points, most goals scored (53), fewest goals allowed (17), largest goal differential (+36) and are the first team in the NWSL to go unbeaten on the road.

   After this win for the Courage, Moore hopes younger girls will see what these women have done and want to do the same.

   “I hope this shows them that there is no limit to what they can accomplish on the field,” Moore said “Often times, the idea being a champion or having what it takes to be a champion is so abstract that it feels out of reach but when young women can see it happening in their own backyards it becomes more real and tangible.”

   The Courage have many players that young fans are familiar with, including former US National Team player Heather O’Reilly or lead scorer Lynn Williams. For freshman Olivia Kuhner however, she looks up to defender Abby Dahlkemper.

   “She plays the same position as me, has the same qualities as me, she’s hardworking, and she’s a great defender,” Kuhner said.

   After two years of the Courage dominating and being so successful in season, Moore thinks that it may be hard for them to win it all again next season even with the same talent they have now.

   “They will still be very talented and now they will all have championship experience,” Moore said. “It is just hard to duplicate a team or a season but I am confident that they will still be very successful.”

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