Nov. 20, 2008

CAROLINES
By Rick Brewer

Yael Averbuch will be making a record-setting appearance when the Carolina women's soccer team faces Illinois on Saturday.

Averbuch will be starting her 102nd consecutive game for when the Tar Heels in the third round of the NCAA Women's College Cup.

That will break the school record held by Cindy Parlow, Tiffany Roberts and Danielle Borgman. But, that won't even be the highlight of Averbuch's week.

Last Tuesday she was named the top student-athlete in women's soccer. She was selected the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America of the Year in voting by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Now if she can only get Brazilian soccer star Marta back on the "Takraw" court she will really be happy.

Her main concern right now is Illinois. A win against the Illini would help her and her teammates get closer to a second NCAA championship in four years. Averbuch has played on Carolina teams that have posted a 90-7-4 record and won four straight ACC titles. The Tar Heels are 21-1-2 this fall and now are shooting for the school's 19th NCAA championship.

"It's been a great year and that would be the way to end it," says Averbuch, a senior midfielder from Upper Montclair, N.J. "I wanted my last season to be my favorite one and it's been better than I expected. The team has played well and I've enjoyed every game."

Her presence has helped the same to be true for Tar Heel Coach Anson Dorrance.

"We've had plenty of great players here and Yael is another," says Dorrance. "She has been a wonderful leader and set a great example for our younger players with her work ethic."

She grew up with that willingness to work. Both her parents are long-distance runners. Her father was a two-time U.S. Olympic Trials marathon qualifier. She thinks she learned about self-discipline and the need for training from them. Both still run daily.

Averbuch stays in such good condition that she really hasn't come close to missing a start in her four years here. She attributes that to a regimented workout plan. She spends time in the weight room, but also puts a lot of emphasis on stretching.

"I've really worked on taking care of myself," she says. "I guess I got that self-discipline from my parents. Yoga is something else that has made a huge difference for me. I went to a yoga class for a while. Now I do it on my own and I think it's been a big help in keeping me healthy."

Not only has that training kept her on the field, it's helped make her one of the premier players in the college game. Averbuch has earned first-team All-America honors for the third straight season and she's a contender for National Player of the Year. That's an award she won in Carolina's 2006 national championship season.

She has played every midfield position, but has been at her best at the attacking center spot. She has 31 career goals and 29 assists. That's where she has been able to make best use of her booming free kicks. That shot is one of the most lethal in women's soccer. She has almost equal power with either her left foot or right.

"Yael gives us a tremendous scoring threat," says Dorrance. "She has as much power and accuracy as anyone in college. That ability is a huge weapon for us. The opposition has to be aware of her from anywhere on the field. That can open things up for our other players."

She attracted national attention in 2006 when she scored from 55 yards against Yale on the opening direct kick of the game. Her goal in the first four seconds set the NCAA record for fastest opening goal in history. Averbuch says she was simply trying to start the game with a long kick instead of a short pass.

"It wasn't supposed to be a shot, but as I watched it in the air I realized it was curving toward the net," she says.

The weight room has helped her leg strength, but Averbuch attributes her long-distance power to technique. She developed her ball skills by playing constantly as she was growing up. She preferred games against older players, especially boys.

"The only way to improve is to face better players," she says. "Going against boys or men was good because they were usually bigger and stronger."

Soccer at Carolina can be time consuming with practice, games and off-season training. That doesn't bother Averbuch.

"The opportunity to play the sport at such a high level and get the coaching I've had is why I came here," she says. "I don't feel like I've missed my college experience," she said. "Playing soccer is what I enjoy. Once the season is over I spend a lot of time working out or playing. But, I do make time for a social life."

Soccer certainly hasn't been a problem for her academically. Averbuch feels it has actually been a help.

"It's easier to concentrate on my studies because my life is so structured during the season," she says. "I have a set schedule of going to class and then to either practice or a game. I have to use the other part of the day for studying. I don't necessarily have to balance my time so much in the off-season. It's easier to put things off."

Averbuch has a 3.71 grade point average in psychology. She is the second Tar Heel to be named the Academic All-America Soccer Player of the Year. Heather O'Reilly won similar honors two seasons ago.

She is majoring in psychology because she eventually wants to coach. She feels her psych courses will help prepare her for dealing with all kinds of people.

But, Averbuch wants to play the game as long as possible. She is a member of the U.S. U23 National Team and has played on the U16, U17, U19, U20 and U21 teams. She even trained with the full U.S. National Team last year.

It was with the U19 team in 2004 that she and Marta faced off in Takraw or "soccer tennis." The U.S. team had just beaten Brazil 3-0 in Thailand at the U19 World Championships. Averbuch and her roommate Sheree Gray arranged a game with Marta and Cristiane, the two Brazilian stars who are among the premier soccer players in the world.

Takraw is a Thai sport played with a woven straw ball. The idea is to keep the ball in the air with your feet and eventually over a head-high net where the opposing two players must do the same. Like tennis, points are scored when the ball hits the ground.

"It was one of the highlights of the trip because we won the game," says Averbuch. "But, Marta talked us into playing two out of three. Then they changed the rules as we went along to win the last two games.

"Some of us are playing the game here now so I'm looking forward to getting Marta back on the court again."

But, that is far from her mind right now. Her only thoughts are on her 102nd straight start and the next step toward another NCAA title.