CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's history for Charlotte. The city welcomed its newest professional women's sports team, Carolina Ascent FC, inside Memorial Stadium with a sold-out crowd in its first match -- also the inaugural match for the newly-launched USL Super League.
The club says 10,553 fans filled the seats to support the team, a single-game attendance record for pro women's soccer in the Carolinas. Liz Karpiel brought her daughter and her friend to the game Saturday, optimistic about what this means.
“This is amazing, it’s the beginning of an era," she told WCNC Charlotte. "I was just so excited to attend an inaugural event of women’s soccer in Charlotte!"
Dan Mavico shares why this game for his daughter was about more than the ball on the pitch.
“It shows them that if they want to make a professional soccer team at a local market, they have a role model to do so," he said.
His daughter Isabel couldn’t wait to cheer on Carolina Ascent making this moment in history.
“People who play soccer, especially girls, have a role model to look up to in Charlotte and that’s pretty cool," she said.
Carolina Ascent is the latest team to help Charlotte become a go-to soccer destination after Charlotte FC was founded just a few years prior, bringing the Queen City into Major League Soccer. Dan Mavico, who was in the stands cheering the team on, says it's working.
“Very historic night. Great night for the city, great night for soccer in the city," he said. "I think Charlotte is becoming a soccer town now. We have an MLS team and a professional women’s team, so pretty impressive."
Carolina Ascent FC won their first match 1-0, marking the first historical win for both the team and for the USL Super League. They will be back in action at Memorial Stadium on August 25 against Lexington SC.
Contact Myles Harris at mharris5@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.