Freshman leads 49ers during Senior Night win
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On a cold, fall night when the Charlotte women’s soccer team recognized its graduating class of five, it was a freshman who stole the show early in the second half to provide the 49ers a 1-0 home Conference USA win over Marshall at Transamerica Field. The second-half magic worked wonders again for the Niners, as they continued their overall dominance in the period after intermission this fall and have now outscored their foes 17-to-5 in the second stanza.
Facing a scoreless opening half against the Thundering Herd, Charlotte (9-5-2, 4-2-2 C-USA) found the back of the net after the 15-minute break for its second-straight 1-0 decision. This time, it was rookie Ari Reilley who got credit for her first collegiate score at 47:51. Junior Amanda Jones sent a pass onto sophomore Maddie Kiebel, who located Reilley along the right side. The freshman then crossed her attempt across the goal mouth and it slipped behind the defense for the game winner.
While the Niners racked up a 13-to-2 shot advantage during the second half, Marshall (8-6-2, 3-4-1 C-USA) had one last chance late to even the scoring column. Charlotte was called for a foul inside the penalty box with 47 seconds to play in regulation. Erin Simmons stepped to the penalty spot and lined up her attempt. However, her shot was placed right into the waiting arms of goalkeeper Alex Kubrick, who was not challenged to make a move for the save, which preserved the tie and shutout.
Kubrick finished with three saves on the night, as she posted her 17th career clean sheet. Her counterpart, Lizzie Kish, collected six stops; however, it was a member of her defense that cleared a Sara Trexler shot off the backline with just over eight-and-a-half minutes remaining in regulation.
Kubrick was a member of the five-player class recognized pregame in a Senior Night ceremony. The other honorees included seniors Brooke Mulloy, Dakota Olson and SarahAnn Waugh along with graduating junior Dana Robertson, who earned her first start of the season Friday.
Nicole Anderson paced all players with four shots, while Simmons led the Thundering Herd with a trio.
The 49ers will return to action when they close out the home regular-season slate at 1 p.m. Sunday when they play host to Florida Atlantic.
Trending Videos
Headlines
- Recruiting Roundup: December 16-22
- 2025 Women's Division I Transfer Tracker
- Tracking Division I Coaching Changes
- Favorite Picks of the 2025 MLS Draft
- 2025 Major League Soccer Draft Results
- Midwest High School Roundup - Dec.
- Postseason Women's Division I Top 25
- 2025 Major League Soccer Draft Big Board
- TDS Boys Regional Rankings: Class of 2026
- Women's Postseason Top 100 Freshmen