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The North Carolina Courage announced this morning that all four of their 2023 NWSL College draftees have now been signed to three-year deals. Olivia Wingate, Sydney Collins, Clara Robbins, and Hayley Hopkins have all joined the teams’ roster through 2026. The four draftees were just a small part of the off-season moves by the Cary, NC-based NWSL club.
This morning, via a press release the Courage announced three-year deals for all four players selected in the 2023 NWSL Draft. Olivia Wingate (Round 1, Pick 6), Sydney Collins (Round 1, Pick 8), Clara Robbins (Round 1, Pick 9) and Haley Hopkins (Round 1, Pick 11) have all signed three-year contracts with the club through the 2025 season.
Olivia Wingate
Wilmington, Massachusetts’ Olivia Wingate was a five-year member of the Notre Dame women’s soccer team. She appeared in 95 games and made a total of 74 starts for the Irish. She scored 26 goals, with 14 coming in her fifth year with the Fighting Irish. Wingate had a total of 11 assists for her career, and 63 points overall.
She earned third-team All-ACC and All-Region in 2021. The following year, in the 2022 season, Wingate earned first-team All-ACC. Additionally, she earned United Soccer Coaches third-team All-America status that same season. She also has U.S. Women’s National Team youth experience with both the U-16 and U-18 squads.
The NC Courage roster has Wingate listed as a forward.
Sydney Collins
Sydney Collins, of Beaverton, Oregon was a three-time captain for the Cal Bears. She appeared in 85 games with 84 of them being starts over her five-year career. She also earned third-team All-PAC 12 as a senior in 2021 then earned both conference and regional accolades in her final season. Collins led Cal in minutes played as well.
The NC Courage roster has Collins listed as a defender.
Clara Robbins
Clara Robbins from Stafford, Virginia finished her career as the all-time leader in games played in Florida State history with 110 matches. She ranks 19th all-time in program history in scoring. She was also the ACC Tournament MVP in 2021 as she helped the Seminoles to a National Championship. The NC Courage said Robbins is a versatile player that can contribute on all three lines. She was second-team All-ACC and All-Region in her final collegiate season. Overall, she’s a three-time All-ACC performer, two-time ACC Tournament MVP, and won two national championships.
The NC Courage roster has Wingate listed as a midfielder.
Haley Hopkins
Haley Hopkins of Newport Beach, California started her collegiate career wth a three-year stint at Vanderbilt that featured two All-American seasons. She then finished her career with two All-ACC seasons and United Soccer Coaches second-team All-Region honors in 2022, her fourth-career selection at the University of Virginia. She led the Cavaliers in goals with 14 in 2022. Additionally, her five assists tied Hopkins for second on the team. In the NCAA Tournament quarterfinal, she scored the equalizer that forced overtime against eventual national champion UCLA.
Overall, Hopkins appeared in 104 collegiate games and made 100 starts, scoring 56 goals and adding 26 assists. She netted 21 game-winners and was 5-6 from the penalty spot, including a 3-for-4 mark in her final season at Virginia.
The NC Courage roster has Hopkins listed as a forward.
NC Courage Roster Status
The four first-round picks tied the NWSL record for most in a single draft. With the four draftee signings, the Courage roster has 26 active players. The Courage signed all draftees last year as well, though only three as opposed to this year’s four.
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