CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte women’s soccer, on a night in which it honored its 2019 senior class, extended its current win streak to seven and maintained a first-place hold in the Conference USA standings with a 1-0 thriller against UTEP Thursday night at Transamerica Field.

FROM THE COACH
“A very hard-fought game,” head coach John Cullen said. “Credit to UTEP; they came in here and really, really battled and got physical, which was great. We needed that kind of game to see how we were going to respond and react.

“But we’re happy to keep the clean sheet and we’re happy to get the win. Another senior, Jamie, scoring an important goal for us to keep this momentum and run going. We created enough chances to deserve to win but UTEP made us earn it.”

GOAL
Neither side was able to break through until senior Jamie Fankhauser sent gasps around Transamerica Field with her acrobatic score. The play was set up by a deep free kick, near the midfield stripe, by junior Brianna Morris. Morris’ service located senior Megan Greene, who used her head to flick it deeper inside the 18-yard box to her classmate. Fankhauser, with her back to the goal, one-timed the shot over her left shoulder past netminder Emily Parrott at 78:38.

CHANCES
Both teams had their fill of chances and good looks but the defense for each team stood tall throughout the night. The Miners had perhaps their best opportunity when Kam Fisher broke free for a 1v1 with goalie Abby Stapleton. Stapleton made a hard charge towards the ball and was able to make a diving stop to keep it from getting behind her in the 31st minute.

The Miners had another breakaway chance midway through the second period, as Jojo Ngongo separated herself from the 49ers’ backline. With only her and Stapleton in the play, she mishandled the ball before it reached the Charlotte goalkeeper and rolled wide.

Seniors Julia Grainda and Abby Taylor both had several good opportunities early for the home side, finishing with three apiece, but were unable to find the back of the net.

WIN STREAK
The 49ers moved their current win streak to seven, the longest for the program since stacking seven-straight triumphs together late in the 2010 campaign. That stretch included the final six regular-season contests and the first game in which they played at the Atlantic 10 Championships.

CLEAN SHEET
Stapleton was credited with just the one save in picking up her fifth shutout of the season and second against a league opponent. She now has 17 career clean sheets in less than three years manning the cage.

RECORDS
Charlotte: 12-3, 7-1 C-USA
UTEP: 8-6-3, 3-4-1 C-USA

UP NEXT
The 49ers will return home for a 1 p.m. Sunday start against UTSA. It marks the next-to-last home game on the regular-season slate and the final day match remaining.

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