Injured Fotopoulos will red shirt

Both Florida and North Carolina missed their big-time strikers when the Tar Heels won a tight 2-1 game Aug. 29 at the SMU Women’s Soccer Classic in Dallas. The Gators, without Danielle Fotopoulos, are in a tougher spot than the defending NCAA champions, who lost U.S. Olympian Cindy Parlow for the game due to a minor leg injury. Fotopoulos is rehabilitating an ACL knee injury suffered while playing with the U.S. national team in the spring and will not be back this season. Florida coach Becky Burleigh said her player will apply for red-shirt status so she can return next fall for her final year. “She would probably be able to return before the end of the season, but she can help her career and our program if she just goes back to training with the national team by the time she is ready,” Burleigh said. “She would miss so much of the season, and her extended time with the national team will only make her better.” The absence of 1996’s Division I leading scorer was evident in the game, as the Gators only managed five shots on goal. Thanks in part to the play of freshman defender Renee Reynolds, Florida limited the mighty UNC attack to six shots on goal. Rakel Karvelsson put the Heels up 1-0 just 37 seconds into the game. Florida’s Sarah Yohe slotted in the tying goal with five minutes left, but UNC’s Robin Confer hit the gamewinner a minute later. Two days later UNC shut out the host Mustangs 3-0 on goals by Raven McDonald, Lorrie Fair and Nel Fettig to win the tournament.

Dorrance to miss playoff game

The NCAA reprimanded and suspended UNC coach Anson Dorrance for one game for his unsportsmanlike behavior toward game officials during last year’s NCAA tournament final against Notre Dame. Dorrance, whose team beat the Irish 1-0, was banned from the next NCAA tournament game in which his team plays for criticizing the officials late in the game. “Anson is fully aware that he reacted to the situation inappropriately and regrets he handled it contrary to the sportsmanship expectations of the university and the NCAA,” UNC athletic director Dick Baddour said…. Harvard’s all-America midfielder Emily Stauffer is sitting out the season to focus on helping her brother, Matt, a player at Williams College, in his battle against leukemia.