North Carolina FC has announced the USL League 2 schedule and roster for the North Carolina FC U23 team. Their season kicks off this Saturday, May 15 at 4 p.m. ET against Lionsbridge FC.
This year’s NCFC U23 team will continue to focus on the club’s long-standing goal of strengthening the youth-to-pro pipeline. For the first time in club history, players from the U17 and U19 NCFC Youth Academy will make up the backbone of the North Carolina FC U23 team.
“The North Carolina FC U23 program is an extremely important piece to our club’s overall player development pathway,” said North Carolina FC Head Coach and NCFC Youth Academy Director John Bradford. “Having the opportunity for our deserving NCFC Youth Academy players to earn consistent matches in the USL2 environment, is a massive step for them and shows our club’s commitment to a full player pathway. Additionally, evaluating how our Academy players perform in the USL2 environment will be a great indicator of their predicted success at the professional level and could lead to additional professional player signings.”
Tom Harris, North Carolina FC Assistant Coach and NCFC Youth Assistant Director and Coach will be NCFC U23’s Head Coach for the 2021 USL League Two Season. Harris first joined the club in 2018 to serve as the Assistant Academy Director, as well as Head Coach of the U23, U17, and U16 teams. Harris’s involvement in coaching and player development has spanned over 18 years, including extensive experience in both Africa and North America, from grassroots to the professional level.
Additional NCFC Youth coaches will join Tom Harris on the USL2 staff, including David Rodriguez, Daniel Sellitti, and Michael Milazzo as assistant coaches, and Wezley Barnard and Xavier Audergon as goalkeeper coaches. These new NCFC U23 staff members come from various full time coaching roles within the youth organization, providing an opportunity for better continuity across different programs from youth, to USL2, to the professional level, while showing an equal commitment to player and staff development.
NCFC U23 has enjoyed a successful history, including winning the 2011 and 2013 USASA U-23 National Championship, while featuring many future professional players. The talent development has been a key feature of the team since the beginning, and professional products of the program include Alex Comsia, Conor Donovan, Akira Fitzgerald, Tyler Lassiter, Zack Schilawski, Jeremy Kelly and current North Carolina FC player, Nazmi Albadawi.
NCFC U23 will kick off its season at home at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, May 15 against Lionsbridge FC at 4 p.m. ET. The team will play in the South Atlantic Division which includes Lionsbridge FC, North Carolina Fusion U23, Tobacco Road FC, Tri City Otters, Virginia Beach United, Wake FC and West Virginia United.
2021 NCFC U23 Schedule:
|
DATE |
TIME |
HOME TEAM |
AWAY TEAM |
STADIUM |
TIME |
|
Sat May 15 |
4:00 PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
Lionsbridge FC |
Wake Med Soccer Park – Field 3 |
4:00 PM EDT |
|
Wed May 19 |
6:00 PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
West Virginia United |
Wake Med Soccer Park – Field 3 |
6:00 PM EDT |
|
Sat May 22 |
7:00 PM EDT |
North Carolina Fusion U23 |
NCFC U23 |
Truist at Bryan Park |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Wed May 26 |
7:00PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
Tri-Cities Otters |
Wake Med Soccer Park – Field 4 |
TBD |
|
Sat May 29 |
7:00 PM EDT |
Wake FC |
NCFC U-23 |
Ting Park Stadium |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Tue Jun 1 |
7:00 PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
Virginia Beach United |
Wake Med Soccer Park |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Sat Jun 5 |
7:00 PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
Wake FC |
Wake Med Soccer Park |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Tue Jun 8 |
7:00 PM EDT |
Tobacco Road FC |
NCFC U23 |
Durham County Stadium |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Sat Jun 12 |
7:30 PM EDT |
West Virginia United |
NCFC U23 |
Shawnee Sports Complex |
7:30 PM EDT |
|
Sat Jun 26 |
7:00 PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
North Carolina Fusion U23 |
Wake Med Soccer Park |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Wed Jun 30 |
7:00 PM EDT |
Tri-Cities Otters |
NCFC U23 |
TVA Credit Union Ballpark |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Fri Jul 2 |
7:00 PM EDT |
Virginia Beach United |
NCFC U23 |
Virginia Beach Sportsplex |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Wed Jul 7 |
7:00 PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
Tobacco Road FC |
Wake Med Soccer Park |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Sat Jul 10 |
7:00 PM EDT |
Lionsbridge FC |
NCFC U23 |
TowneBank Stadium |
7:00 PM EDT |
2021 NCFC U23 Roster:
- GK – George Marks [Clemson]
- GK – Trace Alphin [Wake Forrest)
- GK – Samuel Terranova*
- GK – Nicholas Holliday*
- DF – Parker O’Ferral*
- DF – Daniel Wu [Georgetown]
- DF – Britton Fischer*
- MF – Colton Pleasants [UNC Wilmington]
- MF – Gabe Mercer [UNC Wilmington
- MF – Robert Screen [Uni. Kentucky]
- MF – Shane De Leon [Uni. Of Alabama]
- MF – Will Buete*
- MF – Curtis De Leon*
- MF – Drew Kerr*
- MF – Marvin Mariche*
- MF – Nata Martinez*
- MF – Collin McCamy*
- MF – Aaron Messer*
- MF – Caden Tolentino*
- FW – Jalen Anderson [UNC Wilmington]
- FW – Luke Hille [NC State]
- FW – Cole Frame*
- FW – Yekeson Subah*
- FW – Rohit Thakur*
*Signed NCFC Academy contracts
More players will be added to the roster throughout the season as additional young talent from NCFC Youth is called up for USL2 opportunities.
North Carolina FC has announced the USL League 2 schedule and roster for the North Carolina FC U23 team. Their season kicks off this Saturday, May 15 at 4 p.m. ET against Lionsbridge FC.
This year’s NCFC U23 team will continue to focus on the club’s long-standing goal of strengthening the youth-to-pro pipeline. For the first time in club history, players from the U17 and U19 NCFC Youth Academy will make up the backbone of the North Carolina FC U23 team.
“The North Carolina FC U23 program is an extremely important piece to our club’s overall player development pathway,” said North Carolina FC Head Coach and NCFC Youth Academy Director John Bradford. “Having the opportunity for our deserving NCFC Youth Academy players to earn consistent matches in the USL2 environment, is a massive step for them and shows our club’s commitment to a full player pathway. Additionally, evaluating how our Academy players perform in the USL2 environment will be a great indicator of their predicted success at the professional level and could lead to additional professional player signings.”
Tom Harris, North Carolina FC Assistant Coach and NCFC Youth Assistant Director and Coach will be NCFC U23’s Head Coach for the 2021 USL League Two Season. Harris first joined the club in 2018 to serve as the Assistant Academy Director, as well as Head Coach of the U23, U17, and U16 teams. Harris’s involvement in coaching and player development has spanned over 18 years, including extensive experience in both Africa and North America, from grassroots to the professional level.
Additional NCFC Youth coaches will join Tom Harris on the USL2 staff, including David Rodriguez, Daniel Sellitti, and Michael Milazzo as assistant coaches, and Wezley Barnard and Xavier Audergon as goalkeeper coaches. These new NCFC U23 staff members come from various full time coaching roles within the youth organization, providing an opportunity for better continuity across different programs from youth, to USL2, to the professional level, while showing an equal commitment to player and staff development.
NCFC U23 has enjoyed a successful history, including winning the 2011 and 2013 USASA U-23 National Championship, while featuring many future professional players. The talent development has been a key feature of the team since the beginning, and professional products of the program include Alex Comsia, Conor Donovan, Akira Fitzgerald, Tyler Lassiter, Zack Schilawski, Jeremy Kelly and current North Carolina FC player, Nazmi Albadawi.
NCFC U23 will kick off its season at home at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, May 15 against Lionsbridge FC at 4 p.m. ET. The team will play in the South Atlantic Division which includes Lionsbridge FC, North Carolina Fusion U23, Tobacco Road FC, Tri City Otters, Virginia Beach United, Wake FC and West Virginia United.
2021 NCFC U23 Schedule:
|
DATE |
TIME |
HOME TEAM |
AWAY TEAM |
STADIUM |
TIME |
|
Sat May 15 |
4:00 PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
Lionsbridge FC |
Wake Med Soccer Park – Field 3 |
4:00 PM EDT |
|
Wed May 19 |
6:00 PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
West Virginia United |
Wake Med Soccer Park – Field 3 |
6:00 PM EDT |
|
Sat May 22 |
7:00 PM EDT |
North Carolina Fusion U23 |
NCFC U23 |
Truist at Bryan Park |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Wed May 26 |
7:00PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
Tri-Cities Otters |
Wake Med Soccer Park – Field 4 |
TBD |
|
Sat May 29 |
7:00 PM EDT |
Wake FC |
NCFC U-23 |
Ting Park Stadium |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Tue Jun 1 |
7:00 PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
Virginia Beach United |
Wake Med Soccer Park |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Sat Jun 5 |
7:00 PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
Wake FC |
Wake Med Soccer Park |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Tue Jun 8 |
7:00 PM EDT |
Tobacco Road FC |
NCFC U23 |
Durham County Stadium |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Sat Jun 12 |
7:30 PM EDT |
West Virginia United |
NCFC U23 |
Shawnee Sports Complex |
7:30 PM EDT |
|
Sat Jun 26 |
7:00 PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
North Carolina Fusion U23 |
Wake Med Soccer Park |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Wed Jun 30 |
7:00 PM EDT |
Tri-Cities Otters |
NCFC U23 |
TVA Credit Union Ballpark |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Fri Jul 2 |
7:00 PM EDT |
Virginia Beach United |
NCFC U23 |
Virginia Beach Sportsplex |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Wed Jul 7 |
7:00 PM EDT |
NCFC U23 |
Tobacco Road FC |
Wake Med Soccer Park |
7:00 PM EDT |
|
Sat Jul 10 |
7:00 PM EDT |
Lionsbridge FC |
NCFC U23 |
TowneBank Stadium |
7:00 PM EDT |
2021 NCFC U23 Roster:
- GK – George Marks [Clemson]
- GK – Trace Alphin [Wake Forrest)
- GK – Samuel Terranova*
- GK – Nicholas Holliday*
- DF – Parker O’Ferral*
- DF – Daniel Wu [Georgetown]
- DF – Britton Fischer*
- MF – Colton Pleasants [UNC Wilmington]
- MF – Gabe Mercer [UNC Wilmington
- MF – Robert Screen [Uni. Kentucky]
- MF – Shane De Leon [Uni. Of Alabama]
- MF – Will Buete*
- MF – Curtis De Leon*
- MF – Drew Kerr*
- MF – Marvin Mariche*
- MF – Nata Martinez*
- MF – Collin McCamy*
- MF – Aaron Messer*
- MF – Caden Tolentino*
- FW – Jalen Anderson [UNC Wilmington]
- FW – Luke Hille [NC State]
- FW – Cole Frame*
- FW – Yekeson Subah*
- FW – Rohit Thakur*
*Signed NCFC Academy contracts
More players will be added to the roster throughout the season as additional young talent from NCFC Youth is called up for USL2 opportunities.
