The Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer began the 2024 season with back-to-back home losses to UNCW 2-1 and TCU 3-0.
“We haven’t arrived yet. We still have some areas that we need to work on. In the last game, we had some issues with our set pieces, and I think we bounced back today in some of those pieces,” said Head Coach Coach Brandi Fontaine. “Some of it is finding a bit of a rhythm, too; you know, the more games we play, the more rhythm we will get; that’s my hope for us!”
Horned Frogs take 3-0 win
Charlotte’s most recent game was on August 18, against the Horned Frogs, whose potent offensive attack reigned supreme. TCU outshot the 49ers 22-5 while maintaining possession for 62% of the match.
The Horned Frogs' first goal came from Seven Castain, who sneaked into the box wide open and sent a shot just over the leaping goalkeeper Emma Wakeman in the 13th minute.
The 49ers' first shot did not come until the 33rd minute when Payton Patrick sent a deep shot toward the net from outside the box.
In the 35th minute, TCU added an insurance goal. Lauren Memoly sent a shot from outside the box high, hitting off the crossbar and falling down into the goal to make it 2-0.
In the second half, Charlotte had a few more scoring chances, taking four shots but only one on goal. Penelope Rich sent a shot low and center, but goalkeeper Olivia Geller scooped up the shot to keep the Niners scoreless.
The Horned Frogs added their final goal after being awarded a penalty kick. AJ Hennessey sent her shot left, and Wakeman made a leaping save, but the rebound went back to Hennessey, who sent a second shot into the net before Wakeman could recover from the save.
“I like how we played in the second half; we switched back into our normal system,” said Fontaine. ”I felt like they took the gas pedal off a little bit, probably just being comfortable with their lead, but I thought we came out and executed in the second half.”
Seahawks swoop 2-1 win in season opener
Charlotte opened the season on August 15 against UNCW where they outshot Wilmington 15-7 but could not convert enough of their chances as they fell 2-1 to begin the year.
The first goal of the season at Transamerica Field came from the Seahawks, who had a corner kick sail high near the goal, and Taylor O’Brien leaped up to send a header into the upper right corner of the goal to take a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute.
The second goal for UNCW came in the 72nd minute after the Niners thought they had cleared a corner-kick attack. Rachel Fry got the ball and saw an opening, sending a pass toward the net, and Alya Vaneous got open, hitting a header backward over the incoming keeper to take a 2-0 lead.
Goalkeeper Morgan Hobbs stopped a solid scoring opportunity for Charlotte as Patrick intercepted a pass with help from Annabelle Walker, pressuring the passer. Patrick sent the ball low toward the goal, but a charging Hobbs was able to reach out and secure the ball in the 82nd minute.
In the 88th minute, a reckless slide tackle from Wilmington gave Macey Bader a penalty kick opportunity. She sent the shot to the right side, which ricocheted off Hobbs’ hand into the back of the net to cut the lead to 2-1.
The comeback hopes burned bright after the penalty kick, but the Niners ultimately fell 2-1.
Takeaways
Charlotte needs to find their rhythm; they had scoring chances in the games, but they did not seem to time things up right, and with a roster bolstering 15 new players, building those relationships on the field will take time to find the rhythm.
“It’s good to get them opportunities and time, but it’s going to take time,” said Fontaine. “We have so many new faces and new players that are going through battles up and down together, and they gotta figure that piece out now, as well as a lot of youth on the team that just needs some experience under their belt.”
Player of the Week
Bader was Charlotte's bright spot on the week. She scored the team’s lone goal in the two games played, converting a penalty kick against UNCW in the season opener.
What’s next
The Niners' tough out-of-conference schedule does not get any easier as they host No. 18-ranked Mississippi State on Thursday, August 22, at 7 p.m. at Transamerica Field.
“[Hopes to see] a good response from this one; we gotta show that we learned something from this game to give Mississippi State a run. We showed we can play with this team [TCU], so I think we can do the same with Mississippi State,” said Fontaine.
After they take on the Bulldogs on Thursday, they travel to Boone, NC, to take on the App State Mountaineers on Sunday, August 25, at 5 p.m.
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