2025 Brings Change in Identity to Charlotte 49ers Women's Soccer

In 2025, things will look a little different for the Charlotte 49ers women's soccer team, as they have a new coach, a new philosophy, and even a new venue name.

Now playing at the Charlotte Soccer Complex (formerly known as Transamerica Field), the team is led by Interim Head Coach Sinead Byrne, who is fresh off winning a NAIA National Championship as an associate head coach with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) before joining the 49ers staff in a similar role in January.

‘We are going to be an attacking force,” said Byrne. “We’ve changed the style of play we want to go forward. We want to score goals, that’s the aim of the game. So kind of changing everything that I think they’ve been used to in the past. Going forward, breaking lines, we wanna be aggressive. We’re gonna win first and second balls.”

Quick change of roles

Byrne joined the staff on January 9th and was named the interim head coach on Feb. 28th, giving a short turnaround for a cataclysmic change, having to adjust on the fly.

“It’s been hard, I’m not going to lie,” said Byrne. “I don’t think this is the way I saw things going. But what a transition, and how the team has just responded to the adversity that’s brought has been incredible. I think as a staff we wanted to give them a really good experience because it had been tumultuous before, but they took that as a challenge and had an amazing spring season.”

Redefining the team’s identity

In previous seasons, the team focused more defensively. It looked to capitalize on counterattacking opportunities, but Byrne has shifted the team’s philosophy to be more offensive and go out there to score goals.

The results are being felt quickly as the team scored more goals in the spring season than they did in the entire fall season. It would be hard to argue with the change when looking at the success Byrne’s SCAD team had last year, when they scored 89 goals in 23 games en route to their NAIA National Championship, so expect to see goals coming in bunches for the 49ers this season.

Senior class defining their legacy through adversity

Charlotte’s senior class has not had the typical path, with this being the third coaching staff they have had in affiliation with Charlotte, with Head Coach John Cullen recruiting them, then Head Coach Brandi Fontaine coaching through their junior year, and now wrapping up their Niner careers with Byrne.

“I think the senior class we kind of challenged them at the start of the fall, like what will your legacy be when you leave here?” said Byrne. Adding, “Maybe it hasn’t been the smoothest ride, but what’s your legacy gonna be for the players coming in? I think it’s been massive, so the seniors have been great!”

The seniors are taking that challenge to heart and want to leave a lasting impression on their younger teammates so their presence will forever be echoed and felt in Niner Nation.

“I feel like all my years I’ve just been fighting behind other people and just trying to build myself as an individual,” said senior forward Bailey Manfredi. “But now that I am in the senior role, I feel like I can lead by example and just kind of be myself. Be more of a mentor and just help the younger girls and the people behind me become the best versions of themselves on and off the field.”

Key players to watch

Charlotte has a lot of open playing time with only two players returning who played over 1,000 minutes last year. There are plenty of minutes to be had, and some players stand out to take on these opportunities.

The senior captains, defender Laura Crate Westerbeek and midfielder Amelia Brown, look to bring veteran leadership both on and off the pitch. Another senior who could be in for a standout year is Bailey Manfredi, who is primed for the new opportunity to start and have a strong impact on the game.

“I definitely think that our two captains, Laura Crate Westerbeek and Amelia Brown, have done a tremendous job, especially during the preseason,” said Manfredi. “Obviously, and LC have been together throughout all four years, and Brownie was a transfer two years ago, and just both of them have led in every way, shape, or form and even though we are in the same class, they have taught me os much in the amount of time that they’ve been here.”

With the offensive-minded shift, the offense will look to create a lot of scoring chances, and forward Evie Craven should be right in the middle of that, looking to capitalize on the scoring chances.

A standout freshman was midfielder Reese Black, who was named to the American Conference All-Freshman team last year looks to build off that first-year success and jump into an even larger role as a sophomore. 

“Going into my sophomore year, I feel a lot more confident, and I hope to be that person that can help lead the freshmen that are coming and all the new players as well,” said Black.

The sky is the limit

Confidence is high for the team, as with the new style of play, they feel it has opened the doors for the team’s capabilities, and once the team fully meshes together in the system, it could prove to be a challenging squad to keep off the scoreboard. 

“Everyone has so much individual talent, and I feel like we’ve already started getting momentum with our team,” said Black. “So when everybody is able to work together and put everything they have onto the field, I feel like we are able to have such a strong team that’s able to make it so far this season, and I’m really excited for how it goes.”

Opening up the year

The 49ers' season begins on Thursday, Aug. 14, on the road down in Wilmington, taking on UNCW at 3 p.m. before returning home on Sunday, Aug. 17, at 7 p.m.