ROCK HILL, S.C. – Charlotte outshot Winthrop 18-3 and netted a score in each half on its way to posting the team’s first shutout of the season in a 2-0 victory. Redshirt goalkeeper Annika McHenry was not challenged throughout the evening, recording zero saves in picking up her first clean sheet of 2015.

Charlotte kept the pressure up during the first half and broke through with the game’s first score at 22:19 on a beautiful two-pass setup. Freshman Megan McCallister sent a pass from the left side to junior Katie O’Neill, who one-touched it to the far top right corner of the box where juniorRebecca Beatty ran onto it. Beatty then needed one stride before burying the ball behind Eagles netminder Karly Gustafson for her first goal of the season.

The score came in the midst of an offensive push forward by the 49ers. Freshman Emily Truelove sandwiched the goal with a pair of attempts of her own, with the second being right on target and forcing Gustafson into a clutch save to keep it out of the frame.

O’Neill continued to challenge the Winthrop (1-1-1) goal late in the period, with under five minutes left, sending another shot on net only to have Gustafson get in front of it. Charlotte had one last chance before the intermission, as sophomore Martha Thomas bounced a header but Gustafson corralled it.

Nearly 12 minutes into the second half, McCallister slipped a low pass over to Beatty. Beatty fired a hard shot but it was deflected out by an Eagles defender. Under a minute later, a free kick located the head of freshman Ellie Deaver, who then redirected it just wide of the right post.

With 28 minutes left, freshman Emily Truelove had a long run where she looked off a defender to keep going into open space. She eventually located Thomas, who had back-to-back shots saved point blank by Gustafson.

However, at 61:46, Thomas would not be denied. A corner kick sent to the far side of the 18-yard box bounced around before Truelove gained control. She then one-touched a short pass to Thomas, who blasted a shot home to the right post past Gustafson to give Charlotte (3-1) a 2-0 edge.

O’Neill had another chance with 13:30 to play, registering another hard shot towards the net but only to have Gustafson knock it down. Bella Osborne’s attempt two minutes later sailed just over the upper left 90 and Victoria Fubara’s right-flank shot hit the outside netting.

Thomas finished with a game-high five shots, including three on goal, while O’Neill chipped in with four and three on goal. Truelove and Beatty added two attempts apiece to round out the Niners with multiple shots.

Taylor Coleman topped the Eagles with two shots, while Gustafson posted seven saves in the full 90 minutes.

Charlotte will return to action at 7 p.m. Friday when it opens a four-game homestand against Gardner-Webb.

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