By R.L. Bynum
UNC women’s soccer’s talent pipeline keeps producing.
Carolina commit Maddie DiMaria scored six goals in one match and four in another as the United States U-17 Women’s National Team rolled to two wins in its first two matches at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Salé, Morocco.
In Monday’s 17–0 victory over Samoa, DiMaria tied the record for most goals by a U.S. player at any age level with six. Two UNC freshmen, Amari Manning and Deus Sanislaus, both had goals in that match.
DiMaria followed that up by netting four goals Thursday in a 6–1 victory over Kenya, one assisted by Manning, to give her 10, already setting a record for most goals by a player in one FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup tournament.
She plans to graduate from Cor Jesu Academy in St. Louis, where she is a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year, at the end of the fall semester and enroll at UNC for the spring semester.
The 17-year-old forward became the fourth woman to score 10 goals or more at a global finals, joining USA’s Michelle Akers, Germany’s Alexandra Popp and Canada’s Christine Sinclair.
She became the first U.S. female player to score multiple goals in multiple games at a U-17 Women’s World Cup. She has 22 goals in 20 appearances at the U-17 level.
DiMaria comes from a family with deep soccer roots. Her grandfather, Tom, was a successful college goalkeeper, and her father, Jeff, played professionally for the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer and represented the United States in international futsal competition. Her mother, Sara, also played college soccer, while her siblings Ana, Jack and Tommy are young, talented players.
During her 2025 high school season, she collected 67 goals and 25 assists in leading her team to a 25–0 record and a Missouri Class 4 state championship.
Thursday, she opened the scoring with a close-range finish in the fifth minute, added a second in the 22nd and then converted penalty kicks in the 35th minute and in first-half stoppage time.
Gianna Hanf, another Carolina commitment, added a goal in stoppage time.
The United States, coached by Ciara Crinion, closes Group E play against China at 2 p.m. Sunday (FS2).
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Photo courtesy of FIFA
