Senior goalkeeper and junior midfielder become UNC's 21st and 22nd selections.
General Information
2011 co-captain • named by Top Drawer Soccer To Its Preseason Top 100 list for 2011 • a two-year returning letter winner who has had a magnificent first two years as a Tar Heel • started most of the second half of the 2009 season in the midfield, primarily at playmaking center midfielder or occasionally on the wing • moved into a full-time starting position in 2010 as the playmaking center midfielder • played this past summer as a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps in the W League with UNC teammate Ranee Premji • competed for the U.S. Women's National U23 Team in 2011 after playing the previous summer for the U20 National Team as a defender • a Rising Star in the Carolina Leadership Academy Program.
Sophomore Season (2010)
A second-team All-ACC selection • copped honors on the second-team NSCAA All-Southeast Region squad. • named to the 2010 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List • 2010 Top Drawer Soccer preseason Player To Watch in the ACC • tapped for the Dean's List in both semesters of the 2010-11 school year • named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll for the second straight year • mentioned on the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week on October 18, 2010 • named a CS360 Primetime Performer on October 18, 2010 • named to first-team CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District Team for District III • one of UNC's most durable performers in 2010, she started all 23 games and played 1,701 minutes • was Carolina's sixth-leading scorer with 16 points and tied for fifth on the team with seven goals • scored the first goal of her career in 3-0 win at Texas A&M on August 20 • her second-half goal proved to be the game-tying tally in a 2-2 decision against Stanford on August 27 • assisted on Kealia Ohai's game-winning goal against Virginia Tech on September 26 • had first multi-goal game in win over Miami with a pair of tallies • scored the game-winning goals versus Clemson on October 21 and in NCAA Tournament second round win over James Madison on November 14.
Freshman Season (2009)
Played in 27 matches as a freshman • started four successive matches against Auburn, Duke, Wake Forest and Boston College and started again at Florida State • then started the last 10 games of the season at playmaking center midfield as the Tar Heels went 10-0 in those matches en route to the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament titles • was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team • a Soccer America first-team All-Freshman Team choice • tapped for Top Drawer Soccer's second-team All-Rookie squad • played 1,591 minutes, including a season-high 84 minutes against Boston College in the ACC Tournament semifinals • assisted on three goals, one each against UCLA, UCF and the regular-season win over Wake Forest • reaped significant academic honors • was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll • tapped for the All-ACC Academic Women's Soccer Team • a Dean's List selection in both the fall semester 2009 and the spring semester 2010.
ODP, National Teams & Club Soccer
Capped with the U.S. U23 National Team in 2011, making international trips to La Manga, Spain and Falun, Sweden • started on defense for the U20 National Team in the 2010 U20 World Cup in Germany • played a prominent role for the U17s when they captured the silver medal in the inaugural U17 World Cup • she played the holding center midfield spot and started five games, playing every minute of those games and wore the captain's band for two of them, including the final against North Korea • had an assist in the quarterfinal game against South Korea and another assist in the 81st minute of the semifinal game against Germany which sent the USA through to the finals • a consistent presence on the back line for the U17s in 2008, she started all 12 matches the team played heading into the U17 World Cup • started all five matches at the CONCACAF U17 qualifying tournament and was one of two players to play every minute of the tournament • had two goals and one assist in qualifying, with her two scores coming in a win over El Salvador • played with the U16s in 2007, scoring a goal in a win over Brazil • played a year up with the U.S. U16s in 2006 • member of Eastern Pennsylvania state team from 2003-09 • that team won Region 1 ODP Tournament in 2008 • member of Region 1 ODP team from 2004-2009 • traveled internationally to Barbados, Spain, Brazil, and Russia with the team • since she was 14 she played for Arsenal World Class under coach Kazbek Tambi • Tar Heels Yael Averbuch and Brittani Bartok also played on that club team • was an NSCAA Youth All-America 2006-08 • Aresenal World Class won the U18 state title, captured the regional title and took third at nationals in 2007 • also played for Vincent United, Langhorne Strikers, which won the EPA State title in 2004, and Lenape Valley • played U9 through U11 with the New Hope Cobras boys team and continued to play secondarily for them until U15.
Prep
Attended the Pennington School in New Jersey • scored 62 goals and had 30 assists through her first three years of high school soccer for a total of 154 points • did not play high school soccer as a senior due to a knee injury and National Team commitments • as a freshman in 2005, she was the leading scorer in Mercer County with 28 goals as well as a first-team All-County honoree • as a sophomore she was the leading scorer on her team with 18 goals and was again first-team All-County • as a junior, she led the Red Raiders to their fifth straight Prep A championship and second Mercer County title • named first-team All-County and a Parade Magazine All-America as a junior • the team finished the 2008 season undefeated at 18-0, winning its sixth straight Prep-A state championship and its third MCT Championship in five years • that season Pennington was ranked by the NSCAA and ESPN Rise as the No. 1 team in the nation • winner of the 2008 NSCAA Girls' Scholar Athlete of the Year Award • ranked by ESPN Rise as the No. 1 recruit in the nation in 2009 • also a member of Pennington's track and field team for four years, running the 100 and 200 meters and competing in the long jump • was the long jump state champion in 2007 • made Dean's List high honors at Pennington all four years • missed over 100 school days in her four years due to National Team events but has managed to still maintain a GPA of 4.11 • was the Sophomore Class Valedictorian • member of National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society.
Personal
Full name is Amber Jean Brooks • born January 23, 1991, in Evansville, Ind. • her mother, Jean Brooks, played on Ashland University's men's soccer team from 1976-79 • her father, Allan, played soccer at LeMoyne College (N.Y.) from 1975-79 • communications major • carries nearly a 3.8 cumulative GPA at UNC • in the community service realm she helped establish "Heel Date" program for Carolina Dreams.
Up Close With Amber Brooks
Section #1: Soccer
1. The best thing about being a Tar Heel soccer player is being a part of a dynasty and continuing the tradition of winning national championships.
2. My favorite thing about competing for Coach Dorrance is his motto of living life on a never-ending ascension.
3. Since my last competitive season, the aspect of my training I've worked on the most is scoring off set pieces.
4. My best friend on another college soccer team is Maddy Evans of Penn State.
5. My greatest strengths as a soccer player are competitiveness and heading ability.
Section #2: Interests
1. Away from the pitch and academic pursuits, I like to spend time with my teammates.
2. On a long bus trip, I'd like to watch The Hangover.
3. If I could compete in another sport at UNC it would be basketball. It's my second favorite sport.
4. If I received free concert tickets via a radio or internet promotion I would love to see Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band or Lady Gaga.
5. The one interest I have that people would be surprised to know is collecting quotes.
Section #3: Food & Beverage
1. After a game at Fetzer I'd love to see a buffet spread at McCaskill that includes Chik-fil-a chicken and fries, Gloria Averbuch's chocolate pumpkin bread and bananas.
2. My favorite beverage is chocolate milk.
3. I'm allowed to enter a room with unlimited snacks, one room has the salty stuff, the other sweet stuff? I enter the Sweet Room. I need a little something sweet after each meal to be completely satisfied.
4. My favorite food made by a relative is roast beef and Yorkshire pudding by Grandma Brooks.
5. On my birthday, I'd love to be treated by my friends to dinner at P.F. Changs or Bell's Tavern.
Section #4: Personality
1. If I possessed the gift of time travel I would go to New Hope, Pa. in 1995. I was four years old, just began playing soccer and didn't have a worry in the world!
2. My most prized personal possession is my bonkeys (blankets I've slept with since I was a toddler).
3. If I could go to dinner with a famous person it would be Bruce Springsteen.
4. My dream job is playing professional soccer.
5. The most interesting person I've met in my time at UNC is Tom Sander. He can do anything.
