Men's soccer upsets No. 4 Wake Forest

WINSTON-SALEM - Evan James netted a goal and an assist to lead the Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team to a 3-1 upset of fourth-ranked Wake Forest on Tuesday night at Spry Stadium.

The win is the first for Charlotte (5-1-2) over a Top-10 team since it beat then-No. 1-ranked South Carolina in the 1994 season.

The loss snaps Wake Forest’s 46-game unbeaten streak against non-conference opponent, which was the longest active streak in the country. The Deacons’ last non-conference loss was to California in the 2005 NCAA tournament.

Wake Forest (5-2-1) won the 2007 NCAA title and advanced to the semifinals of the College Cup last season before being eliminated by North Carolina.

James’s goal was his fifth of the season to go with four assists. Jennings Rex and Owen Darby also scored for Charlotte.

Charlotte scored on its first shot of the game, in the 11th minute. Andres Cuero played a long pass down the middle of the field that found James open and 1-on-1 with Wake goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald. James' shot beat Fitzgerald to the right to put the 49ers up 1-0.

Nagy wins individual title at VCU Shootout

Charlotte 49ers senior Corey Nagy shot two-under par 70 in the final round of the VCU Shootout in Sabot, Va., to claim medalist honors with a three-round total of six-under par, 210.

Nagy, who starred at Vance High, took the individual title by two strokes over Wake Forest's Brendan Gielow (-4, 212) to post his third career collegiate victory. He also won the 2007-08 Scenic City Invitational and the 2009 Atlantic 10 championship.

Nagy birdied five holes in the final round on his way to the title-clinching 70. Nagy's first-place finish led the 49ers to a ninth-place showing in the 14-team field. Seven of the 14 teams in the field were ranked in Golfstat's top 50, including tournament champion UNC Wilmington. The Seahawks were ranked 41st while Charlotte was ranked 26th.

Junior Will Golden and freshman Andy Sajevic shot three-over par 75 as the 49ers rallied from 12th-place, where they stood after two rounds.

Uptown basketball Tip-off next Tuesday

The Charlotte 49ers will host the seventh annual Uptown Tip-off event on Oct. 6 to highlight the upcoming men's and women's basketball seasons. The event will run from 11:30 am until 1 p.m. and held at The Square – the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets in Uptown Charlotte.

The Uptown Tip-Off will feature the opportunity to meet head basketball coaches Bobby Lutz and Karen Aston and will include games, prizes, giveaways, and more. Enjoy the lunch hour with the 49ers and have the chance to win season and single game tickets and apparel.

Also on hand will be the Charlotte 49ers basketball band, cheerleaders, and Gold Dusters. The event is free and open to the public.

Weinraub named A-10 co-player of week

Charlotte 49ers women's soccer junior forward Whitney Weinraub has been named co-player of the week by the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Weinraub amassed seven points in a pair of wins for the 49ers last weekend. She scored a goal in the 49ers' 5-3 win over Duquesne on Friday and scored two goals and had an assist in Charlotte's 4-0 victory at Fordham on Sunday. She leads the team with eight goals on the year.

The 49ers return to action at 7 p.m. Friday when they host Rhode Island at Transamerica Field.

Men's soccer ties UNCG in shortened game

Andres Cuero and Charles Rodriguez score their first goals of the season as the Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team tied UNC Greensboro 2-2 in a game that was stopped in the 75th minute due to unplayable conditions.

"This was two very good teams battling during very tough playing conditions," Charlotte coach Jeremy Gunn said. "For the entire second half, the field had standing water. ... I thought that both teams played good soccer in impossible conditions."

In the 74th minute, Rodriguez scored the game-tying goal on a bicycle kick off a Jennings Rex assist. The game was called just over a minute later.

The 49ers (4-1-2) finished the game with a 16-10 advantage in shots. Gross and James paced the 49ers with four shots apiece. Charlotte returns to action at 7 p.m. Tuesday when it plays at sixth-ranked Wake Forest.

Coley signs with Harlem Globetrotters

Former Charlotte 49ers star Charlie Coley is among six players who have signed with the legendary Harlem Globetrotters and will join Globetrotter veterans for the team's annual training camp to vie for spots on the team. The Globetrotters open training camp in New York on Thursday.

Coley has already earned the nickname "Cobra" from the Globetrotters. Coley was selected in the Globetrotters' third annual player draft in June. He sports a 40-inch vertical leap and missed winning the 2009 ESPN College Slam Dunk Championship by a single point in a dunk-off.

Coley won a pair of 49ers Slam Dunk contests during his stint with the 49ers, jumping over 6-10 center Phil Jones, a chair set on top of a table and over a DiJuan Harris pedalling a stationary bike.

He concluded his 49ers career with 102 dunks to rank second all-time in just two seasons of action. A 2009 graduate, Coley averaged 8.9 points and a team-best 6.8 rebounds as a senior.

Sajevic is A-10's golf rookie of the week

Charlotte 49ers freshman Andy Sajevic was named the Atlantic 10 men's golf rookie of the week for the week ending Sept. 20.

Sajevic shot three-under par over the final two rounds to lead the 49ers to a fourth-place finish at Minnesota's Gopher Invitational to open the season.

Making his college debut, the freshman from Fremont, Neb., shot one-under par 215 to place fourth individually in the 72-player field. He carded two-under par 70 and one-under par 71 in the final two rounds to earn a spot in the top five.

ESPN will air a Duke/49ers NIT matchup

Should the Charlotte 49ers and Duke meet in a second round game during the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament on Nov. 17 in Durham, the game will be televised live on ESPN at 6 p.m.

The game is slated as part ESPN's second annual College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon, which provides consecutive live college basketball games to celebrate the start of the season highlighted by 12 live games on Nov. 17 in 24 consecutive hours on ESPN.

49ers' Stenard, Rex earn soccer honors

Charlotte 49ers junior midfielder Kirby Stenard's strong performance last weekend earned her a pair of honors. She was named to the Soccer America National Team of the Week and was named the Atlantic 10 women's soccer player of the week.

Stenard scored pair of game-winning goals in a 4-0 victory over East Tennessee State and 1-0 win over N.C. State. She is tied for second on the team with three goals and second on the team with two game-winning goals.

The women's team begins its quest for a fourth consecutive A-10 regular season title when the 49ers host Duquesne at 7 p.m. Friday at Transamerica Field. Charlotte was won 16-straight regular season A-10 games.

--Charlotte 49ers forward Jennings Rex was named Atlantic 10 men's soccer rookie of the week for his performance over the weekend. Rex scored his first two career goals in the 49ers' 4-2 win over Winthrop in the championship game of the Charlotte Nike Invitational on Sunday. The men's team returns to action on Saturday, playing at UNC Greensboro.

Women's soccer blanks N.C. State 1-0

The Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer team behind a goal from Kirby Stenard and a stout defense blanked ACC foe N.C. State 1-0 at Transamerica Field in its final non-conference game of the season.

The 49ers (6-2) defense recorded their fifth shutout of the season while limiting N.C. State (5-2-1) to only five shots.

"We had a very successful weekend," Charlotte coach John Cullen said. "We did not concede a goal in either one of two games this weekend. I was pleased with our team’s defense today to limit a very good N.C. State team to no goals and only five shots is fantastic.

"I was pleased with our overall performance today. We did a good job of possessing the ball and controlling the play."

Stenard recorded her second straight game-winning goal when she deflected a Sam Huecker corner kick into the right side of the goal in the 53rd minute. Stenard’s goal was her third of the season.

49ers men's soccer wins Nike Invitational

The Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team defeated Winthrop 4-2 on Sunday night at Transamerica Field to win its own Nike Invitational for the second consecutive season.

The 49ers (4-1-1) took a 3-0 lead over the Eagles before allowing two late goals by Winthrop. A late Jennings Rex goal sealed the victory for Charlotte.

“We played scintillating soccer in the beginning and really took it to Winthrop by scoring three goals to put us up,” 49ers head coach Jeremy Gunn said. “However, Winthrop has a ton of attacking weapons, which doesn’t allow you to switch off and assume the game is won.”

The game seemed out of reach for Winthrop until Matthew Skonicki struck a goal in the 76th minute to cut Charlotte’s lead to 3-1 and then added another goal five minutes later.

Rex's goal one minute later put the game back out of reach for the Eagles. Rex was among four Charlotte players named to the 2009 all-tournament team. Evan James was named tournament MVP joining Rex, Charles Rodriquez and Jason Hawes on the team.

Men's soccer opens tournament with victory

The Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team opened play in its Nike Invitational with a 4-0 victory over Cal State Bakersfield (2-3-1) on Friday night.

Isaac Caughran had the game-winning goal in the tenth minute to lead the 49ers (3-1-1) past Bakersfield, which is the alma mater of head coach Jeremy Gunn and assistant coach Kyle Gookins.

Charlotte thoroughly dominated the match as the 49ers outshot the Roadrunners 19-9 with a 10-3 shot-on-goal differential. The shutout was also the first of the season for the 49ers and senior keeper David Martin.

The game sets up a showdown between local rivals Charlotte and Winthrop on Sunday at 7 p.m. for the tournament title. The 49ers haven’t lost to the Eagles in the last seven matches.

Women's soccer blanks ETSU 4-0

The Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer team used a balanced scoring attack with four different goal scorers defeat East Tennessee State 4-0 Friday at Transamerica Field. The 49ers (5-2) finished the game with a 28-4 advantage in shots and an 11-1 advantage in corner kicks.

The 49ers defense limited East Tennessee State (1-7) to four shots en route to its fourth shutout of the season. Charlotte goalkeepers Lauren Brown and Natalie LaVigne each played 45 minutes in combining on the shutout.

Charlotte hosts ACC foe N.C. State at Transamerica Field at 1 p.m. Sunday in its final non-conference game of the season.

2009-10 women's basketball schedule

2009-10 Charlotte 49ers
Women’s Basketball Schedule
Date Opponent (TV)
NOVEMBER
13 at East Carolina
16 SOUTH CAROLINA
20 at Appalachian State
23 at Duke
26-27 at Junkanoo Jam (Freeport, Bahamas)
26 vs. South Dakota State
27 vs. Virginia / Indiana
DECEMBER
2 PRESBYTERIAN (DH with MBB)
5 UNC ASHEVILLE
8 WESTERN CAROLINA (DH with MBB)
12 SOUTHERN MISS (DH with MBB)
20 at Notre Dame
29-30 at Virginia Tech Tournament
29 vs. Central Connecticut State
30 Virginia Tech/New Jersey Tech
JANUARY
4 CLEMSON
9 at Duquesne*
13 LA SALLE*
16 at George Washington*
20 at Fordham*
23 SAINT JOSEPH’S* (CBS C)
26 RICHMOND* (CBS C)
30 SAINT LOUIS*
FEBRUARY
3 at Dayton*
6 RHODE ISLAND*
10 ST. BONAVENTURE*
13 at Temple*
18 at Saint Louis*
24 at Xavier*
28 MASSACHUSETTS*
MARCH
5-8 at Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament
(The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Md.)
*- Atlantic 10 Conference games

Men's soccer hosts Nike Invitational this weekend

The Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team (2-1-1), which is currently ranked No. 1 in the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic region, will host the Charlotte Nike Invitational this weekend at Transamerica Field.

The 49ers face Cal State Bakersfield, the alma mater of 49ers head coach Jeremy Gunn and assistant coach Kyle Gookins, in their first game of the Invitational at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Winthrop will play Appalachian State at 2:30 p.m. Friday.

On Sunday, Cal State Bakersfield will face Appalachian State at 11 a.m. and Charlotte will host Winthrop at 7 p.m.

“The team is playing well and should enter the weekend brimming with confidence. The players have shown great mental toughness over the season so far - and I am sure they are ready for two very strong opponents," Gunn said.

Gunn, who was a 1992 NSCAA All-American, played at Cal State Bakersfield from 1989 to 1992. He finished his collegiate career with 46 goals, 36 assists for 128 points. Gookins played at Bakersfield from 2000 to 2003.

Charlotte sophomore Evan James and seniors Adam Gross and Luke Exley are currently tied for the team lead in goals with two apiece. James leads the 49ers in assists with three. The 49ers have won their last three home games.

Admission to Friday’s games is $5 for adults and $2 for youth (17-and-under). Admission to Sunday’s game is $5 for adults and youth (17-and-under) are free. Charlotte 49ers students with a valid student ID are admitted free.

Charlotte football has raised nearly $3.3 million

With a month remaining before a self-imposed Oct. 15 deadline, the Charlotte 49ers have raised nearly $3.3 million toward a $5 million goal to start a football program in time for the 2013 season.

As of late Tuesday, 2,560 football seat licenses have been sold – an increase of 810 since the start of an aggressive marketing campaign on July 13. With the cost of FSLs ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 each, that translates into $3.248 million.

The original recommendation by the school's chancellor, Dr. Philip Dubois, to the board of trustees called for the sale of 5,000 FSLs at $1,000 apiece to raise $5 million in start-up funds.

Momentum appears to be building as the deadline approaches as 150 FSLs have been sold since last Thursday, school officials said.

“We believe we have made significant progress and we're extremely excited about going over the $3.2 million mark in FSL sales. Our sales force has taken this task to heart and fans are stepping forward,” said 49ers athletics director, Judy Rose.

“The key continues to be fundraising. We have more FSLs to sell and we have to make a strong push for capital gifts to get to the point where we can get the shovels in the ground and get the construction phase underway.”

Rose and officials from the school's athletic foundation plan to present an update on the FSL campaign to the school's board of trustees during its scheduled meeting on Thursday.

Last month the architectural team of Jenkins-Peer out of Charlotte and the DLR Group out of Overland Park, Kan., was selected to create designs for a football fieldhouse, a permanent on-campus stadium and a temporary stadium based around the current Belk Track & Field complex.

The team may be able to present some preliminary designs to the trustees on Thursday, officials said.

Currently, the only way non-students can be guaranteed a seat at a Charlotte football game is through the purchase of an FSL. Little if any general admission public seating is anticipated.

For more information or to purchase an FSL, call (704) 687-4949 or visit charlotte49erfootball.com.

James earns a pair of soccer awards

Charlotte 49ers sophomore forward Evan James was honored with a pair of awards as he was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s National Team of the Week and was also tabbed as the Atlantic 10 Men’s Soccer Player of the Week.

James had the game-winning goal with five minutes remaining against Campbell and also tallied an assist on Charlotte’s first goal in the game. Earlier in the week, James scored the 49ers' lone goal in a 1-1 tie against Clemson.

A 2008 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team selection, James currently leads Charlotte in points with seven and is tied in goals with two. His seven points puts him in third the A-10 and in a tie for third-most goals, while his three assists lead Charlotte and the A-10.

The 49ers host the Charlotte Nike Invitational this weekend with Appalachian State, Winthrop and California State Bakersfield all converging on Transamerica Field for the weekend tournament. The Niners will face Cal State Bakersfield on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before facing Winthrop on Sunday at 7 p.m.

Niners finish fourth at Gopher Invitational

The Charlotte 49ers golf team finished fourth in the season-opening Gopher Invitational behind a strong debut from freshman Andy Sajevic (Fremont, Nebraska). Sajevic carded a final round of one-under par 71 to complete his first collegiate tournament in a tie for fourth overall at one-under 215.

Charlotte shot an eight-over par 296 in the final round to hold on to the fourth-place finish in the 12-team field. Senior all-America Corey Nagy shot four-over 76 in the final round to finish tied for 12th at +2, 218. Nagy had posted a second round of six-under par 66.

Southern Methodist won the event at 9-under par 855, 10 strokes ahead of runner-up Arkansas (+1, 865).

Here's my preseason picks. What are yours?

It's time again for the Atlantic 10 Conference's annual men's basketball preseason media and coaches voting for all-conference recognition and predicted order of finish of all 14 teams in the conference.

Here were my votes for all-conference recognition (ranked beginning with who I thought should be preseason player of the year): Chris Wright, Dayton; Rodney Green, La Salle; DiJuan Harris, Charlotte; Kevin Anderson, Richmond; Ricky Harris, UMass; Marcus Johnson, Dayton; Lavoy Allen, Temple; Damian Saunders, Duquesne; Jio Fontan, Fordham; Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure; David Gonzalvez, Richmond; Delroy James, Rhode Island; Kwamain Mitchell, Saint Louis; and Shamari Spears, Charlotte.

Here is my predicted order of finish for the conference. Feel free to offer your own prediction in the comments section and leave your name and email address. The person who comes closest to the actual A-10 poll will receive a couple items of Charlotte 49ers apparel (I'll have someone randomly pick one if there is a tie).

1. Dayton

2. Xavier

3. Richmond

4. Charlotte

5. Duquesne

6. Temple

7. Rhode Island

8. Saint Louis

9. Massachusetts

10. La Salle

11. St. Joseph's

12. St. Bonaventure

13. Fordham

14. George Washington

49ers men's soccer team opens home season Saturday

SATURDAY: The 49ers (1-1-1) will open their home season at 7 p.m. with a men's game against Campbell (1-2).

The first 200 fans will receive a free men's soccer schedule T-shirt.

The 49ers are 8-0-1 in home openers this decade, starting with a 2-0 win Sept.1, 2000, against the Camels.

Admission will be $5 for adults and $2 for ages 17 and under. UNC Charlotte students will be admitted free with a valid student ID.

Women's soccer blanks Davidson 2-0

Goals from Whitney Weinraub and Lena Suarez and stellar defense led the Charlotte 49ers to a 2-0 shutout win over cross county rival Davidson. With the victory, the 49ers ended their three-game losing streak against Davidson.

In the first half, the 49ers (4-1) best scoring chance came in the 12th minute when Jenna McKeon headed the ball off the crossbar. Davidson (2-4) also nearly scored the game’s first goal when Kyri Bye-Nagle had her shot hit the cross bar in the 17th minute.

The 49ers scored the game’s first goal when India Winford passed to Weinraub in front of the Davidson goal in the 55th minute. Charlotte took a 2-0 lead when Suarez scored her first career goal when she headed in a Sam Huecker corner kick in the 63rd minute.

49ers men's soccer earns tie at Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. - Sophomore Evan James scored in the first half as the Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team tied Clemson 1-1 in double overtime. The 49ers finished the game with a season-high 20 shots. The game had a 40 minute lightning delay six minutes into the first overtime.

James gave the 49ers (1-1-1) an early lead when he scored off an Adam Gross assist in the 10th minute. James’ goal was his first of the season and his seventh of his career. Clemson (0-2-1) tied the score when Nathan Thornton scored in the 75th minute.

Charlotte’s finished the game with a 20-12 advantage in shots. James led the 49ers with 10 shots including five on goal. Isaac Caughran had three shots for the 49ers. The 49ers return to action when they host Campbell in their season home opener at 7 p.m. Saturday.

49ers add three to men's golf team

Charlotte 49ers first-year head golf coach Adam Pry has announced his 2009-10 incoming class, including an NCAA Div. III Individual Champion and the 2009 Nebraska High School State Class A Champion. The new 49ers golfers are Olafur Loftsson (Gardabaer, Iceland), Andy Sajevic (Fremont, Nebraska) and Simon St. Louis (Repentigny, Quebec).

Loftsson won the 2009 NCAA Div. III National Championship as a freshman at Oglethorpe University while Sajevic, who recently competed in the 2009 US Amateur, won Nebraska's 2009 Class A State Championship as well as the 2009 Nebraska Junior Match Play and 2009 Nebraska Junior Amateur titles. St. Louis qualified for the 2008 US Junior Amateur after placing third at his qualifier.

This summer, Loftsson won the Icelandic National Stroke Play championship, carding rounds of 72-70-72-69. He birdied his last four holes in the Championship to force a playoff which he won. Loftsson also posted a 10-stroke victory to capture his third straight Nesvollur Club Championship. In 2008 he carded a course record 61 to claim the club championship.

Four Niners win weekly Atlantic 10 awards

Four Charlotte 49er student-athletes won weekly Atlantic 10 Conference awards for their respective performances over the past week:

Men’s Soccer Player of the Week
Adam Gross of Charlotte; Senior, Midfielder

Gross recorded two goals in a 1-1 week for the 49ers, scoring a goal in each contest…tallied his first career game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over Elon on Sept. 4 and added the lone Charlotte goal in a loss at South Carolina on Sept. 1.

Women’s Soccer Player of the Week
Whitney Weinraub of Charlotte; Junior, Forward

Weinraub amassed five points and seven shots over two matches...scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner, and added an assist on Sept. 4 in Charlotte’s 7-1 win over Francis Marion...marked her third game-winning tally of the season...leads the 49ers in goals (four) and points (nine).

Volleyball Rookie of the Week
Jenna Litoborski of Charlotte; Freshman, Outside Hitter

Litoborski was the lone 49er named to the All-Tournament team at the High Point Classic over the weekend…led Charlotte in kills with 36 (2.4 kps.) in the four-match week…logged her first career double-double with 16 kills and 13 digs, both career highs in Charlotte's match against High Point on Sept. 5…then set a new career benchmark with 15 digs on Sunday in a five-set thriller against Marshall...finished the weekend with 2.7 digs per set and added six assists, three aces and seven blocks.

Women’s Cross Country Rookie of the Week
Maria Ruiz of Charlotte; Freshman

Making her collegiate debut on Sept. 5 at the USC Upstate Eye Opener, Ruiz placed second out of 65 runners with a time of 18:15...finished just three seconds behind the individual champion...Charlotte placed fourth in the seven-team field.

Burgin signs to play pro ball in Bulgaria

Former Charlotte 49ers women’s basketball standout center Danielle Burgin has signed a pro contract with Bulgaria’s Dunav Ecount Rouse team. Burgin played a major role in helping the 49ers win their first Atlantic 10 conference tournament title last season and second NCAA bid.

Last season, Burgin became the 16th player in school history to score 1,000 career points and she is one of only five players in school history to score 1,000 career points and grab 800 career rebounds.

Burgin was a three-time all-A-10 selection and the first Charlotte player since Markita Aldridge to be named all-conference three times. Last season, she finished second in the A-10 in rebounding (9.2 per game) and was third on the team in scoring (11.1 points per game).

She joins Aldridge, Alicia Abernathy, Pam Brown, Sakellie Daniels, Jameka Jones and Monica League as former 49ers that have played professional basketball.

Judy Rose on the passing of Bob Young

"It is with great sadness that I share with the 49er family the passing of Bob Young. Bob served as Executive Director of the Athletic Foundation from 1993-1998 and as Director of Planned Giving and Major Gifts from 1998-2000.

"Under Bob's leadership in the 1990's, the Athletic Foundation saw tremendous capital growth. Bob was instrumental in securing gifts that helped build athletic facilities such as the Wachovia Fieldhouse, the Irwin Belk Track and Field Center, the James H. Barnhardt Student Activity Center and the Miltimore and Wallis Athletics Training and Academic Center.

"Visitation will be held at River Hills Community Church Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.. Services will be held at River Hills Community Church Saturday at 2 p.m. Interment will be held immediately following the service at River Hills Community Church Cemetery."

Judy Rose

Men's soccer drops season opener to Gamecocks

Adam Gross scored the 49ers first goal of the season but it was not enough as the Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team dropped its season opener, 3-1, at rival South Carolina on Tuesday night.

The Gamecocks' Blake Brettschneider scored his first goal of the season on a shot in the six yard box off a Jeff Scannella assist giving the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute. South Carolina pushed its lead to 2-0 with a 49ers own goal in the 50th minute.

Gross scored the 49ers' first goal of the season off a deflection on a 49ers corner kick in the 78th minute. Gross’ goal was the 10th of his career.

The 49ers finished the game with a 13-6 advantage on shots. Gross led the 49ers with a game-high five shots. Charlotte plays again Friday at 7 p.m. at Elon.