49ers land Porter Ridge star

49ers football coach Brad Lambert has said will need to quickly step up Charlotte's recruiting as they prepare for FBS football in 2015. It appears they're already doing that with a verbal commitment from Porter Ridge High's Chris Duffy.

Porter Ridge coach Blair Hardin said Duffy, a senior strong safety and running back, committed to the 49ers on Saturday and that he also had offers from East Carolina and Tennessee.

Duffy (5-11, 190 pounds) was an all-state defensive back last season as Porter Ridge went to the 4A state championship game. He's scored four touchdowns and is averaging nearly 8 yards per carry this season as a running back.

The 49ers are getting plenty of Porter Ridge players already: Guard Thomas LaBianca, quarterback Lee McNeill and kicker Stephen Muscarello are freshmen at Charlotte this year.

49ers release 2012-13 nonconference MBB schedule

   The Charlotte 49ers' 2012-2013 nonconference men's basketball schedule will include eight home games, two games against ACC foes, and three games in the Great Alaska Shootout.

   The 49ers open the season with three straight home games, starting Nov. 9 against Charleston Southern, Nov. 13 against Georgia Southern and Nov. 17 against Lamar.

   Charlotte will play three games in the Great Alaska Shootout Nov. 22-24, opening with Texas State on Nov. 22.

   East Carolina will visit Halton Arena on Dec. 1 and travel to Mecklenburg County rival Davidson on Dec. 5. The 49ers will play at Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 14 and host Florida State at Time Warner Cable Arena on Dec. 22.

   Charlotte will conclude its nonconference schedule on Jan. 2, hosting UNC Asheville.

   - Jim Utter


2012-13 Men’s Basketball non-conference Schedule

November

Fri. 9 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN Halton Arena

Tues. 13 GEORGIA SOUTHERN Halton Arena

Sat. 17 LAMAR Halton Arena

Thurs-Sat. 22-24 at Great Alaska Shootout Anchorage, Alaska

22nd - vs. Texas State CBSCSN 11:30 pm

23rd - vs. Oral Roberts/Loyola Marymount (CBSCSN times in bold) 6:00 pm/12:00 am

24th - vs. Belmont/Alaska-Anchorage/Northeastern/UC-Riverside 4:00/6:00/10:00pm/12:30 am

December

Sat. 1 EAST CAROLINA Halton Arena

Wed. 5 at Davidson Davidson, N.C.

Sat. 8 CENTRAL MICHIGAN Halton Arena

Fri. 14 at Miami Miami, Fla.

Sun. 16 at Kennesaw State Kennesaw, Ga.

Wed. 19 RADFORD Halton Arena

Sat. 22 FLORIDA STATE Time Warner Cable Arena

January

Wed. 2 UNC ASHEVILLE Halton Arena

Charlotte 49ers news and notes

Lots of 49ers news and notes for the weekend.

-- The last time Charlotte faced Alabama-Birmingham in men’s soccer, the 49ers were ushering the Blazers out of the NCAA tournament in convincing fashion.

Charlotte beat UAB 3-1 in the second round of last season’s tournament on its way to an appearance in the College Cup championship game. The Blazers didn’t really know what hit them: the 49ers scored in the first minute of the game.

The two teams play again Friday, as the fifth-ranked 49ers (2-0) host UAB 2-0) at 7 p.m. at Transamerica Field.  

-- The 49ers’ women’s soccer team (2-1) plays at UNC Wilmington (0-2-1) on Friday at 7 p.m., then heads to Greenville to face East Carolina (1-2) at 2 p.m. Sunday.

-- The 49ers’ volleyball team tries for a school record when it faces Clemson on Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the Clemson Classic. The 49ers (3-0) have won the first nine sets of the season and have never won their first 10. Charlotte faces East Tennessee at 12:30 p.m. Saturday and Chattanooga at 6 p.m. Charlotte’s Bianca Rouse became the 17^th player in school history to pass the 1,000-kill mark last weekend.

-- Charlotte’s cross-country teams open their seasons Friday at 6 p.m. in the Western Carolina Invitational in Cullowhee. The 49ers’ are led by Hana Sutchar on the women’s side and Zach Greth on the men’s.

-- Former 49ers baseball All-American Bo Robinson has joined coach Loren Hibbs’ staff as a volunteer assistant. Robinson is the only player in program history to have more than 100 RBIs in a season, which he did in 1998. Robinson also won the Conference USA batting title that year.

-- The 49ers athletic department has announced a documentary series – “49ers Football Now: A Countdown To Kickoff” – that will debut Sept. 4. A different episode, 13 in all, will run monthly through the team’s first game Aug. 31, 2013. It can be seen on charlotte49ers.com, charlotte49ers.tv and the Charlotte 49ers Official Youtube Channel, as well as on Time Warner Cable Channel 22 every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  

Allen goal gives 49ers 2OT victory

Thomas Allen's goal in the second overtime gave the 49ers fifth-ranked men's soccer team a 1-0 victory against No. 14 Coastal Carolina on Monday at Transamerica Field.

Allen's goal, off a Tyler Gibson corner kick at the game's 101:45 mark, raises Charlotte's record to 2-0. Coastal falls to 1-1.

The Chanticleers played a man down for much of the game after Jhamie Hyde was sent off in the first half. Charlotte outshot Coastal 16-8.

Charlotte plays again Friday against Alabama-Birmingham at Transamerica Field.

Observations from first Charlotte 49ers football practice

Observations from the 49ers' first official football practice on Monday afternoon:

-- Eighty-five players -- all dressed in green 49ers football T-shirts, black shorts and black socks -- showed up for what was a historical day for the program -- the first on-field practice for a team that doesn't play until Aug. 31, 2013. At exactly 3 p.m., strength and conditioning coach Jim Durning blew his whistle and the 49ers got to work on their new practice fields adjacent to the stadium.

-- The 50-minute practice started with agility and running drills. In 85-degree heat, the players wrapped up that portion of the practice with several 100-yard sprints. Then they split off into position groups, where coaches ran briefly ran them through some drills.

-- One player stood out in the conditioning drills. Daquan Lucas, a free safety from St. Stephen, S.C., did a full split as he warmed up, prompting one teammate to say he could never do that. Lucas then led the way in the sprints, getting encouragement from his position coach James Adams, who shouted, "Come on, 'Quan!"


-- Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jeff Mullen worked with his group -- Karsten Miller, Matt Johnson, Lee McNeil and Kyle Hoffman -- focusing on foot work and on passing. He likened the arc and distance of the players' passes to how he hits a golf ball. "I talk a lot in golf clubs," Mullen said, motioning with his arm how the ball might be thrown. "Two-iron, three iron, five iron ..."

-- Two players didn't work out because of injuries -- strong safety Danny Leonardi (ankle) and sophomore lineman Monte Golden (foot) ...Three transfers are on the roster -- sophomore offensive tackle Daniel Book (Albany), sophomore offensive tackle Peter Fields (Findlay, Ohio) and junior nose tackle Duke Mosby (Wake Forest). Mosby played in five games last season for the Deacons before being dismissed from the team for breaking undisclosed team rules. Fields played in nine games last season for Division II Findlay ... The 49ers will continue with conditioning drills for three weeks before going into a more traditional mode of practice in September ... The turf in the stadium is nearly completely installed. The outside of the field is ringed with gold and the end zones are black.

-- Story: 49ers practice for first football game – a year away

-- Photos: 1st day of drills

Charlotte 49ers get stern soccer test Monday

The 49ers' fifth-ranked men's soccer team, fresh off a dramatic victory in its season opener Saturday, faces a stern test Monday when 14th-ranked Coastal Carolina comes to Transamerica Field for a 7 p.m. game.

The Chanticleers won their season opener 4-0 Friday against Longwood. They boast one of the country's top players in senior striker Ashton Bennett, who scored two goals against Longwood. Bennett led the nation in goals (23) and points (53) last season.

Charlotte beat Coastal 2-1 last season. The Chanticleers made it to the NCAA tournament last season, losing to eventual national champion North Carolina in the second round.

Bennett and Charlotte's Aidan Kirkbride were both named to College Soccer News' team of the week. Kirkbride scored both the 49ers' goals in a 2-1 double-overtime victory against Denver, the first coming with four seconds left in regulation.

Soccer America's poll for this week hasn't been released yet, but the 49ers are ranked third in the College Soccer News poll and Coastal is 10th.

49ers win frantic opener

Aiden Kirkbride's two goals helped give the fifth-ranked Charlotte 49ers an unlikely 2-1 men's soccer victory in double overtime against Denver on Saturday at Transamerica Field.

Kirkbride's header with 6:51 left in the second overtime capped a frantic comeback by Charlotte (1-0). Kirkbride's other goal came with four seconds remaining in regulation, sending the game into overtime.

Denver (0-1) had taken the lead 1-0 on a goal by Josh Wren in the 32nd minute.

The 49ers outshot Denver 24-3 and had 13 corner kicks to the Pioneers' 1.

Charlotte plays again on Monday against Coastal Carolina at Transamerica Field.