D.C. United Women News Release - www.dcunitedwomen.com
Friday, May 25, 2012
GERMANTOWN, Md.- Two-time NCAA All-American and WPS veteran Carolyn Blank will make her much-anticipated W-League debut with D.C. United Women Sunday when the Black-and-Red host the Northern Virginia Majestics at the Maryland SoccerPlex at 7:45 p.m. ET.
"It's a very important game and a must-win," said Blank, who is currently commuting to the D.C. area from her home state of New Jersey prior to a permanent move in June. "I need to quickly find where I fit into the team, and if I play for 5, 10, or 90 minutes it doesn't matter. I'm there to support the team and let them know I'm here to play a role."
Blank is one of the premier defensive midfielders in the U.S. at any level, and specializes in ball control and helping her team prevent potential threats before they reach the back four. She is known for being outstanding at tracking air balls and winning possession on loose balls. She was drafted in the fifth round of the 2010 WPS Draft out of the University of West Virginia, where she helped lead the team to NCAA Tournament appearances in all four seasons and set a school record for career starts with 92.
"Carolyn plays with a great deal of passion and she's a true competitor which separates her from a lot of other players," West Virginia Head Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown told dcunitedwomen.com. "She's a true leader and she makes people around her better. Her speed of play, being able to read the ball and having great tactical awareness makes her very special."
Now 24, Blank was drafted out of college by St. Louis Athletica but played just six matches with the club and contributed one goal before the team ceased operations mid-season. She was promptly picked up by the Atlanta Beat where she played in the team's final 13 matches of the 2010 WPS season.
In 2011, she signed with Sky Blue FC in New Jersey, starting 16 matches and netting one goal. She spent the second half of 2011 in Sweden playing for Vittsjo, and now returns to the U.S. to add even more pro-experienced talent to the stockpiled D.C. United Women midfield.
"D.C. United Women's roster has a lot of strong players and it seems like a great training environment, great team and great coaches," said Blank. "I'm really looking forward to getting there and getting settled down."
Blank said she will take any role and play any position Head Coach Mike Jorden wants her to this summer, although her natural position is defensive midfield. She was attracted to D.C. United Women because she already had plans to relocate to the area in June, and thought the team looked like a good fit as an up-and-coming program. She was a four-time MVP at Toms River High School in New Jersey where she quickly caught the eye of Izzo-Brown, and three years later earned her first spot on the second team NCAA All-American squad.
"The uniqueness of Carolyn is that she reads the game exceptionally well," said Izzo-Brown. "She's able to get good positioning before the ball gets dangerous in that defensive holding role and does a really good job of not exposing the center backs."
Having played for the U.S. youth national team growing up, Blank said that her dream is to one day get a shot at representing her country on the international stage.
"My hope is that it's still a possibility and it's still my ultimate goal," she said on her hopes of making the U.S. national team. "But all I can control is how hard I'm working and what I'm doing to improve my game, and hoping that people around me see that."
On Sunday, Blank will join United Women as they seek to remain undefeated all-time at home in W-League play. Tickets for Sunday's match against the Northern Virginia Majestics, which kicks off at 7:45 p.m. ET at the SoccerPlex, can be purchased at https://tickets.dcunitedwomen.com/, or at the box office on game day. Party tents and VIP Tickets are still available, and season tickets packages for all six remaining regular season home games cost just $35 for youth, $49 for adults, or $69 for an all-ages VIP access pass.