Charlotte’s women’s soccer team, Carolina Ascent, opens inaugural season at home Saturday

Carolina Ascent, Charlotte’s new women’s soccer team, is set to open its inaugural USL Super League season at home on Saturday night with a game at American Legion Memorial Stadium against DC Power FC.

The Ascent, led by head coach Phillip Poole, has spent the last few months putting together a roster that it feels can compete in the new women’s soccer league from the first game. Only eight of the Ascent’s 26 players are from the Carolinas, although some also have local ties to college or professional teams.

That group of players will represent Charlotte’s first professional women’s sports team since the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting folded in 2007.

“There’s a massive void of inspirational sports assets for young girls to aspire to,” Chief Operating Officer Tim Schuldt told The Charlotte Observer at the team’s jersey unveiling in July. “This fills a massive void in Charlotte, in many other cities, and that’s what we really hope to be, is a catalyst for young girls to aspire to stay home.”

The team has trained together over the course of the summer in preparation for its inaugural season and drew University of South Carolina’s women’s soccer, 1-1, in an exhibition game on Aug. 5. Jill Aguilera, a Puerto Rican international who made 36 appearances for the NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars over the past two seasons, scored the Ascent’s only goal of the game.

USL SUPER LEAGUE FORMAT

The Ascent will play 14 matches between August and December — one at home and one away against the seven other teams in the league, before a brief winter break. Another 14 games will be played in the spring starting in February, and the top four teams in the standings at the conclusion of the regular season in May will qualify for the playoffs.

Then, two semifinals and a winner-take-all final will decide the USL Super League’s inaugural champions.

“The fact that we have a really affordable option 14 times a year here in Charlotte, that is at a beautiful soccer-specific stadium, you’re not fighting downtown traffic — I mean, what an opportunity,” Poole said.

CHARLOTTE’S SOCCER SCENE CONTINUES TO GROW

Charlotte was the site of a number of high-profile soccer matches this summer, hosting a pair of Copa America games in July and a friendly between Real Madrid and Chelsea earlier in August, while Charlotte FC of MLS and USL League One’s Charlotte Independence have continued their usual regular seasons.

The Carolina Ascent will add more consistent soccer to an already bustling scene in the Queen City starting on Saturday, and the club hopes it can cement itself as an instant contender in its new league and a staple for women’s soccer locally.

“It’s not just about you know, the feel good, nice fluffy story — there has to be a legitimate pathway for these players,” Poole said. “There has to be a level of ability that says, with time and with a deliberate plan, we can get these players into our first team and we can get them prominent.”

HOW TO GET TICKETS

Limited tickets remain for Saturday’s inaugural match against DC Power FC at 7 p.m., and they can be purchased for between $15 and $35 on the Ascent’s official website.

WHAT ITEMS ARE NOT PERMITTED INSIDE THE STADIUM?

According to the American Legion Memorial Stadium policy, the following items are not allowed inside the stadium:

• Alcoholic beverages

• All balls, including footballs of any size

• All non-transparent bags or items, including backpacks, binocular/camera cases, cinch bags, computer bags, diaper bags, fanny packs, purses larger than 4.5” x 6.5”, etc.

• Baby seats

• Balloons

• Coolers or containers, including cans and bottles

• Explosives

• Fireworks

• Folding chairs

• Food and beverages, except two (2) sealed plastic non-flavored water bottles per person

• Horns, bells, whistles, and other noise makers

• Illegal drugs

• Laptops

• Laser pointers

• Pets, except service animals assisting those with disabilities

• Seat cushions with covers, zippers, clasps, pockets, or any other device that would allow

• concealment of any item

• Selfie Sticks

• Strollers

• Umbrellas

• Video equipment

• Weapons of any kind and size, including guns, knives, scissors, and those carried with a permit

WHAT ITEMS ARE PERMITTED INSIDE THE STADIUM?

According to stadium policy, the following items are permitted as long as they are inspected by security personnel:

• Any transparent plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag no larger than 12” x 6” x 12”

• Purses, bags, or clutches no larger than 4.5” x 6.5”

• Containers for medical supplies or special food items for diabetics

• Flags without poles or sticks

• Seat pads without covers, zippers, clasps, pockets, or any other device that would allow concealment of any items

• Tablets