Saturday, October 31, 2009

Men's soccer unbeaten streak ends at 13

The Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team saw its 13-game unbeaten streak come to an end when the 16th-ranked 49ers dropped a 3-0 decision at Dayton on Friday. Charlotte fell to 9-2-4 overall and 3-1-2 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

"In the first half, we played good soccer with the exception of defending Dayton’s free kicks," Charlotte coach Jeremy Gunn said. "We created good scoring chances and defended fairly well. We just did not compete well enough on several Dayton free kicks."

Dayton (10-4-1, 5-1-0) scored the game’s first goal when Ryan Handbury’s free kick from 30-yards out went to the far post where Alex Torda headed the ball into the net in the seventh minute.

Charlotte finished the game with 14 shots. Freshman Jennings Rex led the 49ers with four shots. The 49ers play again at 1 p.m. Sunday at Xavier.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

It's secret scrimmage time again !


If they hold a basketball game and nobody can see it, does it count?

Once again, it's time for the annual "invisible" scrimmage game for the Charlotte 49ers - one of the many NCAA Division I basketball teams that take advantage of an NCAA rule which allows for a "closed" scrimmage with another team.

In past seasons, Charlotte has played UNC Wilmington, which is coached by former 49ers assistant Benny Moss. The 49ers are changing opponnents this season and will play Virginia Tech on Saturday in "the game that shall not be named."

Stay tuned for no live reports of anything that occurs since in NCAA terms it never happened in the first place!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Nagy ties for 4th in Aldila Intercollegiate

Charlotte senior Corey Nagy shot a four-under-par 68 to charge into a tie for fourth-place and lead the 49ers to a sixth-place finish at the Aldila Intercollegiate at Council Fire Golf Club in Chattanooga, Tenn. Middle Tennessee State was first. -- Staff reports

Gross, Weinraub earn soccer honors

Members of the 49ers' men's and women's soccer programs were named Atlantic 10 player of the week - Adam Gross in men's soccer and Whitney Weinraub in women's soccer.

Gross scored a goal in the 49ers' 3-0 win over La Salle and scored the 49ers' first goal in their 2-2 double-overtime tie with Fordham. he leads the team and is tied for third in the league with seven goals. He also has six assists.

Weinraub scored a goal and had two assists in the 49ers' 5-0 win over Temple. She also scored the game-winning goal in the 49ers' 3-1 win at Saint Joseph's. She leads the A-10 with a career-high 13 goals this season. Her 13 goals are the fourth highest single-season total in school history.

Trip to Charlotte-Tennessee Jan. 6 just got longer

Rock slide over the weekend has closed I-40 in both directions. (AP Photo/Bill Sanders, Asheville Citizen-Times)


A rock slide on I-40 near the North Carolina-Tennessee border will have consequences for the 49ers. DOT officials now say it'll be late January or early February before the highway is reopened to traffic. (Click here for a slideshow, no pun intended.)

That'll add at least an hour to the trip for fans wanting to see Charlotte play the Volunteers on Jan. 6 in what might be the most attractive easily driveable road game on the schedule.

The school hasn't decided whether the team will drive or fly and is studying the options.

The detour recommended by the DOT:

If you're going west, take I-40 West to I-240 West in Asheville to I-26 West. Follow I-26 West from Asheville to I-81 South in Tennessee, then back to I-40.

People going east will take the same detour in opposite directions.

That route takes drivers about 135 miles out of their way.

Soccer America ranks men's soccer 16th

Soccer America Men's Top 25
TEAM (2009 RECORD) PREVIOUS

1. Akron (15-0-0) 1
2. Wake Forest (11-2-2) 3
3. North Carolina (10-2-2) 4
4. UCLA (9-2-2) 2
5. Connecticut (10-2-3) 6
6. South Florida (10-2-2) 7
7. UC Santa Barbara (11-3-1) 8
8. Maryland (10-4-1) 5
9. Louisville (11-2-2) 11
10. Northwestern (9-2-4) 12
11. N.C. State (10-3-1) 13
12. Virginia (10-3-1) 15
13. Butler (10-1-1) 16
14. Harvard (10-3-1) 9
15. Monmouth (13-1-1) 10
16. Charlotte (9-1-4) 14
17. Duke (10-4-0) 24
18. Stanford (9-4-1) 21
19. UC Irvine (11-4-0) NR
20. Tulsa (9-4-2) 17
21. Brown (8-1-5) 22
22. St. John's (5-2-8) NR
23. San Diego (10-4-0) 19
24. San Diego State (6-4-4) NR
25. Penn State (9-4-1) NR
25. UAB (10-3-1) NR

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Bowden could miss 3 weeks with shoulder injury


Freshman shooting guard Shamarr Bowden could be out as long as three weeks with a separated left shoulder suffered during Saturday's Green-White scrimmage game, team officials confirmed.

Bowden, who was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason all-rookie team last week, saw his doctor on Sunday. X-rays of the injury showed nothing that required surgery.

Bowden, who missed last season with a knee injury, will likely miss the 49ers' exhibition game with Johnson C. Smith and the home opener with UNC Asheville. He may be ready in time for Charlotte's appearance in the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament which begins Nov. 16 vs. Elon at Duke.

Friday, October 23, 2009

49ers earn pair of soccer wins

The Charlotte 49ers men's and women's soccer teams rolled to Atlantic 10 Conference wins on Friday night. The 14th-ranked men's team beat La Salle 3-0 at Transamerica Field while the women's team blanked Temple 5-0 on the road.

The men's team (9-1-3, 3-0-1) got goals from Isaac Caughran, Adam Gross and Justin Tucker to stretch their unbeaten streak to 12 games. The shutout was Charlotte’s fifth of the season as the 49ers have allowed one goal in the last 500 minutes of play.

“Our back four are playing really well right now, but not only are they defending well they are also joining in on the attack which really helps us score more goals,” said Charlotte coach Jeremy Gunn.

The women's team (14-2-1, 8-0-1) got goals from Jonna Handra, Hailey Beam, Kirby Stenard, Macky Wingo and Whitney Weinraub as the 49ers are unbeaten in their last 25 conference games.

"I was very pleased with our performance," Charlotte coach John Cullen said. "It was very windy but we adapted very well to the conditions. We played our style today. We were really sharing and moving the ball around the field today."

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Men's bball picked 7th in preseason A-10 poll

The Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team was picked to finish in seventh in the Atlantic 10 Conference this season based on voting by media and coaches released Thursday.

Charlotte senior point guard DiJuan Harris was named to the preseason all-conference second team and freshman Shamarr Bowden was named to the all-rookie team.

Predicted order of finish
(First place votes in parantheses)

1. Dayton (33)
2. Xavier (18)
3. Richmond (4)
4. La Salle (2)
5. Duquesne
(tie) Temple
7. Charlotte
8. Rhode Island
9. UMass
10. Saint Joseph's
11. St. Bonaventure
12. Saint Louis
13. George Washington
14. Fordham

A-10 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
First-Team
Lavoy Allen, Temple
Kevin Anderson, Richmond
Rodney Green, La Salle
Ricky Harris, Massachusetts
Chris Wright, Dayton

Second-Team
David Gonzalvez, Richmond
DiJuan Harris, Charlotte
Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
Marcus Johnson, Dayton
Damian Saunders, Duquesne

Third-Team
Bill Clark, Duquesne
Keith Cothran, Rhode Island
Jordan Crawford, Xavier
Dan Geriot, Richmond
Kwamain Mitchell, Saint Louis

Defensive Team
Dante’ Jackson, Xavier
Jason Love, Xavier
Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
London Warren, Dayton
Garrett Williamson, Saint Joseph’s

Rookie Team
Shamarr Bowden, Charlotte
Chris Gaston, Fordham
Aaric Murray, La Salle
Freddie Riley, Massachusetts
Terrell Vinson, Massachusetts

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Ge-Lawn Guyn no longer committed to Niners

Ge-Lawn Guyn, a highly rated combo guard from Kentucky who committed to Charlotte in June, has reopened his recruitment.

"I feel like I made a decision too quick and didn't think it all the way through," Guyn told the Louisville Courier-Journal. "It all boils down to me and what I think is best, I have to go to school there. I just think I went too fast and needed to look around a little more."

Guyn told the Courier-Journal that Indiana, Western Kentucky, South Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Cincinnati, Tennessee and Alabama have shown the most interest. Interesting that Charlotte is not on that list after Guyn's decommitment.

Guyn likely won't sign until the spring.

Women's bball picked second in A-10 poll

The Charlotte 49ers women's basketball team, which won the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament last season and its automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, has been picked to finish second in the league in the preseason poll announced Wednesday.

Charlotte senior guard Aysha Jones was named to the preseason first team all-conference while junior guard Shannon McCallum was named to the preseason second team.

Atlantic 10 preseason poll
First place votes in parantheses


1. Xavier (12)
2. Charlotte
T3. Dayton (1)
Richmond (1)
5. Temple
T6. Duquesne
St. Bonaventure
8. George Washington
9. Saint Joseph's
10. Saint Louis
11. Massachusetts
12. Rhode Island
13. La Salle
14. Fordham

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Niners earn golf, soccer and cross-country honors

Several Charlotte 49ers athletes earned recognition for performances last week:

<>Senior defender Nathan Mathers of 14th-ranked men’s soccer team was named to College Soccer News’ National Team of the Week. Mathers assisted on Adam Gross’ game-winning goal in the 49ers' 2-1 win at Saint Louis. Mathers has also anchored a solid defense which has allowed one goal in the last 410 minutes of play.

<> Amanda Goetschius was named the Atlantic 10 Cross Country Performer of the Week after her 26th place finish at the NCAA Pre-Nationals. Goetschius took the top honors for Charlotte at the race by pacing the 49ers to a 24th place finish in a field that consisted of 19 of the top 30 nationally ranked teams.

<> The 49ers women’s soccer team swept the Atlantic 10 weekly honors. Senior Hailey Beam was named A-10 co-Player of the Week. She was also named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week. Freshman Lacey McGowan was named A-10 co-Rookie of the Week which makes her the first 49er to claim that honor this season.

<> Senior Ryan Wilson was named the Atlantic 10 Golfer of the Week after leading the 49ers at the Brickyard Intercollegiate. Wilson shot a pair of identical rounds of one-over par 73 to finish tied for 28th with a two-over par 146.

<> On another note, the men's soccer team is ranked ninth and the women's team is ranked 25th in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America polls.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Observations from men's basketball practice


I sat in during the Charlotte 49ers' 2 1/2-hour men's basketball practice on Monday, my first visit since teams could officially begin full practices last Friday. Here are some observations:

This guy is healthy: Junior Charles Dewhurst is sporting a brace on his left leg but can fully participate in practice now. Dewhurst had season-ending knee surgery last January. On Monday, Dewhurst appeared very comfortable on the court, collecting several offensive rebounds, running the floor well and he appeared very at ease with his outside shot, connecting on three of four 3-pointers. In his first two seasons with the 49ers, Dewhurst has been more likely to drive to the basket.

This guy can jump: Freshman K.J. Sherrill looks in excellent physical shape and is very good playing above the rim. He has been blocking shots, altering others and has a nice mid-range jumper. With 1.1 seconds left during one 5-on-5 game, Sherrill caught a halfcourt pass from Phil Jones over two defenders, turned and got a good look at the basket but the ball bounced off the left side of the rim.

There is no stopping this guy: Senior point guard DiJuan Harris hasn't lost any intensity. He was as relentless as always, driving to the basket among much taller players, diving for loose balls and disrupting the other team on defense. Twice he took hard spills to the floor but got right back up and continued on.

This guy looks familiar: The more I see of sophomore transfer Derrio Green, the more he seems to have a game very like that of former 49er Leemire Goldwire. He is very active with the ball and comfortable taking the shot when needed. Green even looks a little like Goldwire.

This guy is funny: After practice several players were taking turns dunking the ball and discussing who would be good in Thursday night's dunk contest during Basketball Madness. At one point freshman Shamarr Bowden started dunking and Phil Jones ran up to him, flailing his arms wildly and screaming, "No dunking Shamarr! You shoot 3-pointers. That's what you do."

Reminder: Basketball Madness begins at 9 p.m. on Thursday night at Halton Arena. Fan Day, which will including scrimmages, is 11 a.m. Saturday at Halton Arena.

Men's soccer ranked 14th in Soccer America poll

The Charlotte 49ers men's soccer team, following a 2-1 win over the weekend at Atlantic 10 power Saint Louis, has returned to the Soccer America Top 25 poll this week at No. 14.

The 49ers (8-1-3, 2-0-1) are one of three teams undefeated in conference play. Fordham and Dayton are the others. Charlotte is also on an 11-game unbeaten streak - the 49ers have not lost since their season-opening defeat to South Carolina.


Soccer America Men's Top 25
TEAM (2009 RECORD) PREVIOUS

1. Akron (13-0-0) 1
2. UCLA (8-1-2) 2
3. Wake Forest (9-2-2) 4
4. North Carolina (9-2-2) 3
5. Maryland (9-3-1) 6
6. Connecticut (7-2-3) 10
7. South Florida (9-2-2) 14
8. UC Santa Barbara (10-3-1) 5
9. Harvard (9-2-1) 8
10. Monmouth (12-0-1) 11
11. Louisville (9-2-2) 7
12. Northwestern (7-2-4) 9
13. N.C. State (9-3-1) 12
14. Charlotte (8-1-3) NR
15. Virginia (8-3-1) 17
16. Butler (9-1-1) 18
17. Tulsa (8-3-2) NR
18. Dartmouth (8-2-1) NR
19. San Diego (9-3-0) NR
20. West Virginia (6-2-5) NR
21. Stanford (8-3-1) 19
22. Brown (7-1-4) 20
23. Ohio State (8-3-3) 15
24. Duke (8-4-0) 25
25. California (8-5-0) 13
25. Indiana (7-5-1) 23

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Women's soccer earns comeback win

Three second half goals led the Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer team to a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over George Washington on Sunday at Transamerica Field. While the 49ers were celebrating Senior Day, it was a duo of underclassmen - freshman Lacey McGowan (2) and sophomore Macky Wingo (1) - who did the scoring.

The Colonials a 2-0 lead in the first half, putting Charlotte's 23-game unbeaten streak against Atlantic 10 competition in jeopardy.

The 49ers' first goal came off a Hailey Beam corner kick in the 65th minute on the right side of the field. Beam’s kick curled to six yards out from the goal where McGowan jumped over the GW defenders and headed the ball into the back of the net.

“Our concern at halftime was to take the game one goal at a time instead of coming out and make up the deficit all at once,” said Beam. “Once we got the first goal I knew we were going to come back and win.”

Charlotte (13-2-1, 7-0-1) will end the regular season with a three-game road swing - Friday at Temple, next Sunday at Saint Joseph's and Oct. 30 at Saint Louis.

49ers knock off Saint Louis in men's soccer


Goals from senior midfielders Luke Exley and Adam Gross led the Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team to a 2-1 win over host Saint Louis on Saturday, extending the 49ers 11-game unbeaten streak.

Charlotte (8-1-3, 2-0-1) scored the game’s first goal when Exley blasted a shot into the back of the net from 35 yards out in the 16th minute. The 49ers' second second goal came when Nathan Mathers crossed the ball from the right side of the field to Gross on the left side. Gross put the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards out in the 27th minute.

Saint Louis (7-5, 2-1) cut the 49ers' lead in half when Benny Estes scored off assists from Alex Sweetin and James Jaramillo in the 75th minute.

Charlotte returns to action at 7 p.m. Friday when its hosts La Salle at Transamerica Field.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Women's soccer extends A-10 unbeaten streak

Two early goals from Whitney Weinraub led Charlotte’s women’s soccer team to a 4-0 victory over Richmond which extended its unbeaten streak against Atlantic 10 opponents to 23 games.

It's also the 49ers' sixth consecutive shutout. Charlotte improves to 12-2-1, 6-0-1 on the season. Richmond is 8-6-1, 4-2.

“We knew coming in that this was going to be a tricky game for us since we just came back from fall break this week,” said 49ers head coach John Cullen. “However we answered the opening bell and came out with two goals in the first few minutes to really give our team a boost.”

Charlotte plays again at 1 p.m. Sunday when the 49ers host George Washington. The game will also serve as Senior Day for the four Charlotte seniors: Hailey Beam, Lauren Brown, Leah Zappone and Nicole Mercer.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Gross named to national team of week


Charlotte 49ers senior midfielder Adam Gross was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com's National Team of the Week after his performance last weekend against George Washington and Richmond.

Gross scored two goals including the game-winning goal and tallied two assists in the 49ers' Atlantic 10 Conference opening 6-0 win over George Washington last Friday. Then, he helped the 49ers record their third straight shutout when Charlotte tied Richmond, 0-0, in double overtime Sunday.

Gross leads the 49ers and ranks second in the league with six assists. He is tied for second on the team with four goals.


Knight earns Atlantic 10 volleyball honors

Kaitlin Knight, a senior on the Charlotte 49ers volleyball team, was named the Atlantic 10 Conference's co-defensive player of the week.

Knight paced the 49ers with 41 digs for a 5.12 digs per set average in a 1-1 week for Charlotte. She had 25 digs in a 3-2 win at Duquesne on Oct. 9 and added 16 digs in a three-set loss to No. 21 Saint Louis on Oct. 11. She also had three aces and four assists.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Men's soccer drops out of SA Top 25 poll

The Charlotte 49ers men's soccer team, after beating George Washington and tying Richmond in a pair of Atlantic 10 contests over the weekend, dropped out of the Soccer America Top 25 poll.

Charlotte (7-1-3, 1-0-1) made its debut in the poll last week when it was tied for 25th.

Soccer America Men's Top 25
TEAM (2009 RECORD) PREVIOUS

1. Akron (11-0-0) 1
2. UCLA (6-1-2) 2
3. North Carolina (8-1-2) 3
4. Wake Forest (7-2-2) 7
5. UC Santa Barbara (9-2-1) 9
6. Maryland (7-3-1) 10
7. Louisville (8-1-2) 11
8. Harvard (8-1-1) 8
9. Northwestern (6-1-4) 12
10. Connecticut (6-2-3) 13
11. Monmouth (11-0-1) 14
12. N.C. State (8-2-1) 25
13. California (8-3-0) 4
14. South Florida (7-2-2) 5
15. Ohio State (7-2-3) 18
16. Georgetown (8-3-1) 19
17. Virginia (7-3-0) 20
18. Butler (8-1-1) NR
19. Stanford (7-2-1) 21
20. Brown (6-0-4) 22
21. Davidson (9-2-0) NR
22. Notre Dame (7-4-1) NR
23. Indiana (6-4-1) 15
24. Penn State (7-3-2) 24
25. UAB (8-2-1) 25
25. Duke (7-4-0) 6

Niners finish 10th at Brickyard Collegiate

Rain caused the cancellation of the third and final round at the Brickyard Collegiate in Macon, Ga., , with final results reverting to the end of Round 2. Charlotte was tied for 10th with 15th-ranked North Florida at the end of two rounds with a 13-over par 589. Augusta State captured the tournament title at 13-under par, 563.

The 49ers were led by senior Ryan Wilson, who finished tied for 28th individually at +2, 146. Sophomore Olafur Loftsson, who shot one-under par 71 in round two, tied for 35th at +3, 147.

The 49ers, who have played in three events this fall, will next compete at the CordeValle Collegiate, Nov. 9-11, in San Martin, Calif. The tournament will wrap up the fall campaign for the 49ers.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Women's soccer blanks Xavier 3-0

The Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer team ran its unbeaten streak against Atlantic 10 competition to 22 games with a 3-0 win at Xavier, the 49ers' fifth consecutive shutout.

Charlotte (11-2-1, 5-0-1) got goals from Danielle Mayeaux, Jonna Handra and Sam Huecker. "Once again it’s pleasing to see different goal scorers pop up on the stat sheet," said Charlotte coach John Cullen. "It makes for a competitive team as well as a team who knows on any given day that we can get goals from a variety of players."

The 49ers finished the game with a 24-8 advantage in shots. All three 49ers goalkeepers, Lauren Brown, Jessica Barton and Natalie LaVigne, saw action. Brown recorded two saves.

The 49ers play their final regular season home games next weekend, vs. Richmond at 7 p.m. on Oct. 16 and vs. George Washington at 1 p.m. Oct. 18 on Senior Day.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Men's soccer wins A-10 opener

Two early penalty kicks helped the Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team to a dominating 6-0 victory over George Washington at Transamerica Field in its Atlantic 10 season opener.

Adam Gross scored twice for Charlotte (7-1-2, 1-0), which is ranked No. 25 in the country by Soccer America. Luke Exley, Owen Darby, Donnie Smith and Jennings Rex also scored for the 49ers.

“George Washington is an incredible team and for us to come out and play the way we did in the first half is amazing especially considering it was the A-10 opener,” said Charlotte coach Jeremy Gunn. “The boys really took the game to GW and we kept them on their back-foot throughout the game, which is really special.”

Charlotte next plays at 1 p.m. Sunday when the 49ers host Richmond.

“The first conference game is always massive, especially after we had such a great out-of-conference, and it was really important for us to start on the right note,” Gunn said.

Charlotte, Dayton battle to scoreless draw

In a battle of the top two women's soccer teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Charlotte 49ers fought Dayton to a scoreless tie in double overtime on a rain-drenched field. The Flyers, however, remain unbeaten on the season (8-0-5, 4-0-1) while the 49ers (10-2-1, 4-0-1) remain unbeaten in their last 21 conference games.

"It was a classic game between two very good teams," Charlotte coach John Cullen said. "The conditions were awful since it has not stopped raining since we arrived in Dayton. Both teams had moments when they were in control."

Dayton recorded 30 shots with 11 on goal but the 49ers' defense posted its fourth straight shutout. Goalkeeper Lauren Brown recorded a season-high 11 saves in the game.

Charlotte next plays at Xavier at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

A-10 represented in preseason basketball poll

The preseason college basketball polls are starting to materialize already. Blue Ribbon's Men's College Basketball Preseason Top 25 was released this week.

Dayton is the lone representative in the poll from the Atlantic 10 Conference, ranked 19th. The Flyers have four returning starters back from last year's 27-8 squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Two of the Charlotte 49ers' scheduled nonconference opponents this season - Tennessee and Georgia Tech - are also ranked, 10th and 13th respectively.

Preseason Top 25
1. Kansas
2. Michigan State
3. Texas
4. Villanova
5. North Carolina
6. Purdue
7. Kentucky
8. California
9. Duke
10. Tennessee
11. Butler
12. West Virginia
13. Georgia Tech
14. Minnesota
15. Syracuse
16. Ohio State
17. Oklahoma
18. Connecticut
19. Dayton
20. Maryland
21. Oklahoma State
22. Michigan
23. Washington
24. Georgetown
25. (tie) Siena
25. (tie) Illinois

Monday, October 5, 2009

Men's soccer debuts in Soccer America Top 25

The Charlotte 49ers men's soccer team made its debut on Monday in the latest Soccer America Top 25 poll, entering this week in a tie for 25th with UAB, N.C. State and West Virginia.

The 49ers (6-1-2) are coming off a pair of wins last week - a 3-1 victory at then-fourth-ranked Wake Forest and a 1-0 victory at Furman. Charlotte is unbeaten in its last eight games.

Soccer America Men's Top 25
TEAM (2009 RECORD) PREVIOUS

1. Akron (9-0-0) 1
2. UCLA (6-1-1) 2
3. North Carolina (7-1-1) 5
4. California (7-2-0) 6
5. South Florida (7-1-1) 7
6. Duke (7-2-0) 15
7. Wake Forest (6-2-1) 4
8. Harvard (7-1-0) 8
9. UC Santa Barbara (7-2-1) 12
10. Maryland (5-3-1) 3
11. Louisville (6-1-2) 20
12. Northwestern (5-1-3) 21
13. Connecticut (5-2-2) 22
14. Monmouth (7-0-1) 9
15. Indiana (5-3-1) 10
16. Portland (6-1-1) 18
17. Boston University (7-2-2) 19
18. Ohio State (5-1-3) 11
19. Georgetown (6-3-1) 13
20. Virginia (6-3-0) 16
21. Stanford (7-2-0) 17
22. Brown (5-0-4) 25
23. George Mason (7-2-0) NR
24. Penn State (7-3-0) NR
25. UAB (7-2-1) NR
25. Charlotte (6-1-2) NR
25. N.C. State (6-2-1) NR
25. West Virginia (5-2-2) NR

Niners rack up numerous A-10 awards

The Charlotte 49ers earned a multitude of weekly Atlantic 10 Conference honors for performances in men's and womens' soccer, golf, volleyball and women's cross country. Here are the winners:

Men’s Soccer Players of the Week: Evan James, Charlotte
The sophomore forward notched goal and an assist to help the 49ers upset then-fourth-ranked Wake Forest on Sept. 29 and break the nation’s best 46-match non-conference unbeaten streak. He scored the game’s first tally and assisted on the game-winning goal.

Men’s Soccer Rookie of the Week: Jennings Rex, Charlotte
The freshman forward scored the game-winning goal on his only shot in the 49ers’ 3-1 upset at Wake Forest on Sept. 29. He made his first career start in a 1-0 win at Furman on Oct. 3.

Women’s Soccer Player of the Week: Hailey Beam, Charlotte
The senior midfielder scored the game-winning goals in Charlotte's wins over Rhode Island (4-0) and Massachusetts (4-0. She ranks second on the team with 19 points and raised her total to 33 career goals.
per set.

Volleyball Rookie of the Week: Bianca Rouse, Charlotte
The freshman outside hitter averaged 3.0 kills per set and hit .356 in a 2-0 week for the 49ers. She had a career-high 16 kills against just one error in 32 attempts in a five-set win over Fordham on Oct. 2.

Golf Player of the Week: Corey Nagy, Charlotte
The senior from Charlotte recorded his third career individual victory as he placed first at the VCU Shootout (Sept. 28-29) with a six-under 210. He fired an opening round 69 and shot a two-under 70 in the final round to seize the title by two strokes.

Women’s Cross Country Performer of the Week: Amanda Goetschius, Charlotte
The junior, competing at the Charlotte Invitational on Oct. 2, finished second in a field of 209 runners with a personal-best time of 17:09.8 on the 5K course.

Women’s Cross Country Rookie of the Week: Maria Ruiz, Charlotte The freshman posted a season-best time of 17:58.9 at the Charlotte Invitational on Oct. 2 as Charlotte claimed the team title in the 23-team field. She finished 12th out of 209 runners.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Volleyball wins fourth straight home match

The Charlotte 49ers volleyball team improved its home record to 6-1 on the year with a 3-1 victory (25-16, 13-25, 25-11, 25-20) over visiting Atlantic 10 rival Rhode Island Sunday afternoon.

Charlotte (12-7, 3-1), which has won 10 of its last 12 matches, has now matched last year’s conference win total in its first four matches of the 2009 season. Rhode Island drops to 5-10, 0-4.

Freshmen Jenna Litoborski and Bianca Rouse recorded 11 kills each to lead the 49ers. Senior co-captain Jenn Webb added 10 kills for Charlotte.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Men's soccer blanks Furman 1-0

The Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team behind a first half goal by Luke Exley blanked Furman 1-0 on the road in its final non-conference game. The 49ers are unbeaten (6-0-2) in their last eight games.

Exley scored the game’s only goal when he blasted a shot from 25 yards out into the top right corner of the goal off an Adam Gross assist in the 36th minute. Exley’s goal was his third of the season. Gross’ assist was his fourth of the season which tied him for the team lead.

"We have had an incredible start to the season," said 49ers coach Jeremy Gunn said. "We have worked really hard and to go 6-1-2 in the non-conference portion of our schedule with six tough road games is fantastic. Now our team has to draw a line and get ready to attack the A-10 schedule."

Charlotte returns to action next weekend, hosting Atlantic 10 rivals George Washington on Friday and Richmond next Sunday, both at Transamerica Field.


Friday, October 2, 2009

Women's soccer runs A-10 winning streak to 19

The Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer team got goals from four different players as it defeated Rhode Island 4-0 Friday night at Transamerica Field. The win was the 49ers' 19th straight over Atlantic 10 competition.

Hailey Beam, Oni Bernard, Lena Suarez and Whitney Weinraub all scored for Charlotte (9-2, 3-0). The 49ers defense recorded its second straight shutout and seventh of the season.

Charlotte returns to action at 1 p.m. Sunday when it hosts Massachusetts.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Observations from men's bball workout

I got a "sneak peek" at the Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team on Thursday as I watched one of their one-hour workout sessions allowed this week. Here are some observations on what I saw:

This guy was lighting it up: Gokhan (pronounced GO-kin) Sirin. The 6-foot-9 freshman forward was dropping in long-range shots with no effort. He and freshman Shamarr Bowden were by far the best shooters in the workout session.

These guys were posting it up: Freshman 6-9 forward Chris Braswell and junior transfer Shamari Spears, a 6-6 forward, showed some excellent moves around the basket. Spears sat out last year after transferring from Boston College but practiced with the team. Braswell only arrived on campus in August. Coach Bobby Lutz reminded his guards a few times to "look inside" because there were many options down low.

You're going to see some shot blocking from these guys: Phil Jones, a 6-10 center, and freshman forward K.J. Sherrill, a 6-7 forward, both proved serious obstacles in the lane. Jones had one particularly strong swat of a shot from Spears in the lane. Sherrill was busy on the defensive end and I didn't get to see much from him offensively.

This guy was backing it up: Sophomore guard Derrio Green looks to be a solid backup for starting point guard DiJuan Harris. He is quick with the ball and also has a nice shot, knocking down a couple 3-pointers on open looks.

This guy is nearly back to full strength: Junior Charles Dewhurst, who underwent knee surgery last season, is wearing a brace but is nearly ready to fully participate in practice. Thursday, Dewhurst did the warmups with the team but was the only player not to participate in the 5-on-5 drills.

This game is hard to play: The workout concluded with a game Lutz picked up from the Alabama coaching staff. It's a 5-on-5 drill and the only way for your team to score is to make a defensive stop, take a charge or collect an offensive rebound. However, the only way to get to play on defense is for your team to score. So a offense is necessary to get to play defense and it's on defense where you score most of your points. Clever way to be able to reward defense in a game.

Next up: Lutz and women's coach Karen Aston - as well as cheerleaders, the band and Gold Dusters - will take part in the Uptown Tip-Off from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday at intersection of Trade and Tryon streets in uptown Charlotte.







Niners baseball begins fall practice

The Charlotte 49ers baseball team is practicing this week at North Mecklenburg High in Huntersville: 3-5 p.m. Thursday and next Tuesday; and 1-5 p.m. Friday and Sunday. Hayes Stadium's field is undergoing overseeding with rye grass this week.

The 49ers will resume practice at Hayes Stadium on Thursday, October 8 at 2:30 p.m., with sessions planned there Oct. 9 (1 p.m.) and Oct. 10 (5 p.m.)

Charlotte is one of only 20 programs to finish in the Top 75 for winning percentage in the nation in each of the last four years. The 49ers have won 30 or more games in five straight seasons and 20 or more home games in four straight years - both program records.

The 49ers are the team in the Atlantic 10 Conference to own winning percentages of better than 70 percent in overall and league play. Since joining the league in 2006, the Niners are 160-68 (.702) overall, with a 76-32 (.704) league record.

The 49ers begin the 2010 season with a home-and-home series against High Point on Feb. 19 on the road and Feb. 20 at Hayes Stadium. Charlotte is to play 23 of its first 28 games at home in 2010.