CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A historic night by Charlotte senior Megan Greene carried the 49ers women’s soccer program to its third-straight victory Thursday, as she netted a second-straight hat trick as part of the Niners’ 4-1 triumph over Campbell. The game was marked by a near 45-minute delay before action started, then a longer, over an hour pause, just after the 10-minute point was crossed forcing the two sides to play later into the evening than originally planned.

FROM THE COACH
“It was going to be a difficult situation tonight against Campbell,” head coach John Cullen said. “Our reaction after that (Campbell’s goal) was fantastic. We came out and talked about we don’t know how long this game was going to last. We don’t know if we’re going to get to 70 minutes or if there’d be another lightning delay. But, from the time we came back on, I thought we dominated the game. We really moved the ball well, found pockets of space, faced up and got at them and we got at them. We really started to knock the ball around well, control possession and control territory and control chances.”

GREENE SETS SCHOOL HISTORY TIMES TWO (or THREE)
After being held scoreless through the season’s first-four games, Greene has found her scoring touch in each of the last two. She netted a hat trick in Sunday’s home victory over Western Carolina before adding another Thursday night.

Greene tallied scores in the seventh, 26th and 30th minute against the Camels for her second-straight hat trick.

She became the first player in program history with back-to-back hat tricks and the only player in school history with three career on her resume.

FIRST SHOTS
Greene’s first goal came on the 49ers’ opening shot of the contest, marking the third time this season in which Charlotte has scored on its first attempt. The feat was previously reached at Akron Aug. 23 by Julia Grainda and Sept. 5 by Jamie Fankhauser.

ADDING NAME TO THE SCORING LIST
Sophomore Michaella Arteta blasted home a 30-yard strike in the 63rd minute for her first career goal, capping the scoring. Her goal is also the first this season by a non-senior on this year’s roster.

Freshman Julia Patrum was credited with the assist, her first collegiate point. She became the seventh different Niners player with at least one assist in 2019.

FIRST STARTS
Patrum was joined by fellow rookie Kristy Campbell in the starting 11 for the first time in their respective careers. Charlotte changed up its starting lineup for the first time this season, inserting the pair instead of previous starters Abby Taylor and Arteta.

STAPLETON EXITS
Junior goalkeeper Abby Stapleton departed the game in the 63rd minute, after Arteta’s score, allowing freshman Brenna Murray to see her first collegiate action. With Murray making her debut, she became the first netminder besides Stapleton to see the field for the 49ers since 2017.

UP NEXT
Charlotte will close its non-conference schedule and its five-game homestand by playing host to ECU at Noon Sunday. All five matches in the stretch have been against in-state opponents.

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