Player: Maggie Pierce

There is one school that will always be on the mind of every female high school soccer player. That's the University of North Carolina. The prestigious school has won 21 NCAA College Cups and has 20 out of 27 ACC Championships. There's an expectation of always winning in Tar Heel country and that didn't scare Maggie Pierce from verbally committing to UNC at a tender age of 14. The youngster has racked up a lot of accolades in her short career and those accolades include: a top 150 ranking in the IMG rankings, ranked in the top XI at three different Top Drawer Soccer combines, named to the all-star team at Duke and UNC camps and being named to the ODP National camp coming up later this month. Pierce will look to explode onto scene as she starts her high school career at Cardinal Gibbons in Raleigh, North Carolina and we had the opportunity to sit down with the starlet. Check out 18 questions with Maggie Pierce!

1. How old are you?

   I am 14 years old

2. Where are you from?

   I am from Cary, North Carolina, but I was born in New York City. 

3. How did you get into soccer?

   I started playing after I watched the US Women's National Team play, but I did not become really interested in soccer until I played for Coach Brady (Michael Brady - Associate Head Coach Men's Duke Soccer) and he made me believe that I could be a really good player.

4. What's one skill you think every player needs to cultivate?

   I think players need to learn how to defend, even if they play offense.  I think that young players are told to shoot and score and they are not encouraged to work hard on defense.

5. Who are your soccer heroes? 

   Katie Bowen is one of my soccer heroes.  Growing up close to Chapel Hill I saw UNC play a lot, and Katie was one of their best players.  I remember seeing her play in a really cold NCAA tournament game against UCLA and she was everywhere, and even though UNC lost you could tell that she was a real leader.  I was able to meet her on the day I committed to UNC and that was a big thrill!

6. You won't be there for a while but, you're currently committed to prestigious North Carolina, what was the recruiting process like and how did you decide to go there? What other schools were recruiting you? 

   UNC has always been my top choice because the school is very good academically and they have a great soccer history and always have a good team.  Plus I had heard Coach Anson speak and when he talked about the type of player he was looking for I thought I was that kind of player. I did not know if I could play for UNC or if they had interest in me, so I was looking at some other schools.  I attended camps or IDs at over half of the other ACC schools, plus some smaller schools in NC and also an SEC school that I really liked.

7. Being so young, and already committed to a top soccer program must feel pretty good, how do you make sure it doesn't get to your head?

   My goal was never just to commit to UNC, but to get ready to start for them as a freshman, and also to play for the UNWNT.  So I don't have time to be lazy just because I committed and I am working even harder than before I committed.  The day I committed I watched UNC train, then I went to 2 different training sessions for 3 hours total to start to get ready!

8. What part of your game are you focusing on in these next couple years before you arrive at Chapel Hill?

   I know that UNC plays an aggressive and physical game, so I am making sure that my fitness does not fall off, and I am also working on my touches and my heading (because I heard Coach Anson talk about the importance of heading for women players).  I also want to work on playing multiple positions because I see UNC move players around, so I plan to play different positions for my club team, ODP team and high school team.

9.  What players do you model your game after?

   I like the way Veratti plays and one of my favorite coaches, Coach Scotty (Scott Schweitzer from the Next Level Academy) told me to watch the way he plays in the midfield and controls the game.  On the current UNC team I like Paige Nielsen because she plays center back and I play center back for my club as well and she controls the whole center of the field.

10. What's your greatest moment on the pitch so far in your career?

    I have 2 recent favorite moments.  In one of our last games my CASL ECNL team beat the CSA ECNL team 4-0.  Here is a video of some highlights.  They had beaten us in the state championship the year before, so improving and beating them was nice.  Before that, in a game against Bethesda I played defense against a girl who had been on the national team and did not allow her to score any goals.

11. Do you have any superstitions you go through before the games?

    I always put on my right sock, boot and shinguard before my left one.  I also always lay out my entire kit before every game the night before.

12. What is your biggest strength on the pitch?

    I like to attack from the back.  Depending on which team I am playing on I might play mid or forward, but on my CASL team I play center back and I like to drive up the field and score or assist.

13. Where does your motivation come from while your playing?

    I play for my teammates, and I have also been motivated by my coaches.  Coach Sam (Sam Stockley) has coached me for the last 3 years and is good at getting us ready to play and motivating us.  I also really hate to lose so am motivated to play hard to win.

14. Beyonce or Taylor Swift?

    Taylor Swift.

15. Messi or Ronaldo?

    Messi on the pitch, but Ronaldo on the poster on my wall!

16. What other sports and activities do you enjoy when you're not playing soccer?

    Does futsal count?  I like to watch hockey, and I can ice skate pretty well

17. What do you value most in your teammates?

    Hard work in training.  We have come a long way as a team, and if we keep working hard I think we can remain undefeated in our ECNL season.

18. Where will we see Maggie Pierce in 5 years?

    UNC starter.  NCAA championship.  USWNT if I get the chance.