Gloucester’s Hanna Heaton joining UNCW soccer
GLOUCESTER, Va. — Gloucester High School and Richmond United girls soccer midfielder Hanna Heaton will be joining the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks soccer team in 2022. She is one of eight newcomers to the Seahawks soccer program.
“Hanna will be joining us from Richmond United, one of the most competitive teams in the nation,” Seahawks coach Chris Neal said. “She is an attacking central midfielder with an endless amount of skill and creativity.”
Heaton is a resident of Gloucester who was active with her high school’s soccer team. She was a first team All-Conference player with the side.
Her work has gone beyond competing in Gloucester, as she has also performed with the Richmond United soccer club. Richmond United offers multiple soccer clubs for junior players including U-13, U-14 and U-15 teams.
Club teams are intended for junior soccer players looking to refine their skills and to compete against other soccer clubs around the country. It is customary for most youth soccer players who compete in high school to also be a part of a club team.
Heaton has competed in multiple elite clubs national league events where she and other Richmond United athletes compete against other clubs from around the country. She also traveled to Iceland in April 2018 to compete in the ODP Region One Iceland Tour.
Heaton comes from a family of soccer players. Her father competed at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. Her brother also played soccer at Bluefield College in Bluefield, Virginia.
“I am excited for her to be joining a CAA Championship team as a freshman,” Chris Neal added. “She will play alongside multiple returning All-CAA midfielders, including team captain Morgan Nanni.”
Heaton is joining a UNCW Seahawks team that went 11-4-1 in 2021. The team had the best regular season record in the CAA. The side also reached the CAA Semifinals in Elon, North Carolina, but lost to Northeastern. Other sides the Seahawks compete against in the CAA include Delaware, Drexel, Hofstra, the College of Charleston and the College of William and Mary.
Heaton will also join many other top-level recruits in 2022. Among the other newcomers to the Seahawks in 2022 include NC Courage Academy ECNL star Lauren Doyle, Charlotte Independence Soccer Club members Alex Tsumas and Nicole Poole, and five-year club team veteran Amelia Forster. The Seahawks have the goal of going further in the playoffs and potentially competing for a national title in 2022 and beyond.
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