CARY, N.C. (June 27, 2023) – The North Carolina Courage have signed three players to National Team Replacement contracts, effective today. Goalkeeper Hensley Hancuff and defenders Sarah Clark and Nikia Smith have all signed with the club after six members of the Courage roster departed Monday for international duty. The Courage active roster now stands at 23 active players, one on the season-ending injury list and six on international duty.
Clark split her collegiate career between Purdue and Virginia. She appeared in 36 matches for the Boilermakers, earning All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors in 2017, before joining the Cavaliers for three seasons from 2020 to 2022, playing 61 matches. She helped the Cavaliers to 13 shutouts in 2021 and was part of a defense that conceded just 17 goals in 23 games in 2022.
Originally from Brighton, Michigan, Clark had a successful youth career with the Michigan Hawks, helping the club win five straight ECNL titles from 2012-2017 and ECNL National Championships in 2016 and 2017.
Hancuff started her college soccer career at Villanova before transferring to Clemson University, where she led the Tigers to the quarter finals of the 2020 College Cup as a junior. Her 0.79 goals-against average on the season ranked fifth all-time in Clemson history for a single season.
She was drafted 24th overall in the 2022 NWSL Draft by Gotham FC but did not make an appearance for the club. After the 2022 season, Gotham loaned Hancuff to the Brisbane Roar of the Australian A-League. She played every minute of the season and made 72 saves, eventually voted Players’ Player of the Year; the third American to earn the honor.
Smith appeared in 74 matches for Northwestern from 2014 to 2018, scoring a goal and providing four assists as a defender for the Wildcats. The Boilingbrook, Illinois native then played professionally for FC Ramat HaSharon of the Israeli Ligat Nashim through 2022 before joining the Courage as a trialist in 2023 preseason camp.
All three players will be eligible for the Courage league match-up with the Houston Dash this Saturday, July 1, with a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at WakeMed Soccer Park. The match will air regionally on Bally Sports South and the Bally App, stream across the United States on Paramount+ and internationally on nwslsoccer.com.
