CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte women’s soccer celebrated its two seniors pregame and responded with a very evenly-played, competitive match against UAB Friday afternoon but a Blazers goal slipped over the goal line for the deciding factor in the visitors’ 1-0 win at Transamerica Field. The 49ers recognized the careers of Amelia Clower and Abby Coffey prior to the start of the contest, as the pair are winding down their tenures wearing the green and white this fall.

The back-and-forth match saw 39 combined shots, with Charlotte (8-6, 4-3 C-USA) holding the slight 21-to-18 edge, a dozen corner kicks (split evenly at six apiece) and 16 saves (seven by each goalkeeper and one team save per squad).

However, it was Kamilah Mustafa who netted the lone UAB (7-5-1, 4-2 C-USA) score, extending her team lead to seven this fall, that proved to be the difference.  She broke free down the right side before launching a shot from just inside the penalty area. The attempt was high, forcing Niners’ goalie Abby Stapleton to extend her arms to prevent it from going into the goal cleanly. The ball’s momentum carried it through Stapleton’s hands, forcing the netminder into retreat. She raced back to stop it before it crossed the line, standing in the goal along the far post, but the signal was given for a goal at the 71:35 mark, ending the deadlock.

It was the only blemish for either team as both squads had several chances at putting up points throughout the afternoon. Early on, in the ninth minute, junior Julia Grainda gave the 49ers their first solid look when she had back-to-back point-blank opportunities. Her first shot was blocked by the Blazers defense before her second, which came off a rebound from the initial stop, said just high over the crossbar.

UAB countered with a series in the 19th and 20th minutes with two shots blocked and a corner kick swung into the box, finding the head of Caroline Kehrer, who sent her redirect into Stapleton’s arms.

Junior Megan Greene appeared to find her way through the Blazers back line in the 23rd minute, as she received a through ball pass from classmate Jamie Fankhauser. With UAB goalkeeper Kelsey Daugherty off her line and charging the attack, Greene sent her shot to the far side of the net, where it hit the post and bounced wide.

Another corner kick for the visitors in the 30th minute turned into consecutive chances by Kehrer and Megan Hudgens, the last being cleared away inside the six-yard box by the Charlotte defense, as the 49ers kept the game scoreless.

Early in the second half, it was Charlotte freshman Haley Shand’s turn. She registered five shots, her only attempts of the contest, all within the first 18:25 of the period and nearly set up a goal, as her cross in front of the goal mouth found fellow rookie Emma Totten, who poked it just wide of the left post. Shand’s best chances forced Daugherty into a pair of saves, while the Blazers defense had to get in front of another two.

Time after time, it appeared one of the teams was set to break through. UAB’s Jessica Do escaped on a breakaway in the 50th minute but Stapleton charged the possession and deflected the ball away, keeping it out of harm’s way.

A free ball inside the 18-yard box during the 57th minute found Fankhauser’s head but Daugherty was in position to make the stop. Greene put her head on another opportunity, in the 64th minute following a corner kick, but the Blazers had defenders in place to prevent any score as it bounced on the underside of the crossbar and away from the line.

The 49ers made one last push in the final minutes, creating two corner kick situations in the final 120 seconds. Both times, a teammate was able to put a head on the ball, the first by junior Abby Taylor and the second from Greene. However, neither one found the back of the net.

Charlotte will look to snap out of its current skid when it heads to the Lone Star State for its final regular-season road trip next week. The 49ers begin the stretch at 9 p.m. ET Thursday in El Paso against UTEP before facing UTSA in San Antonio at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.

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