Amidst a jumble at the top of the league standings with four clubs separated by just two points, Carolina Ascent FC has found itself back in the No. 1 spot for the first time in 12 weeks.
The team began its inaugural season going 11 matches without a loss before ending the fall campaign with three straight defeats. Battling through injuries and struggling to score, the break couldn’t come soon enough for the Ascent.
However, Carolina has gone 4-2-1 and scored 15 goals, the most of any team since resuming play in February. Here’s how the Ascent have risen back to being one of the most dominant teams in the league.
Finding the back of the net
In Carolina’s final five matches of the fall, it had scored just two goals, with one coming from the penalty spot. The team wasn’t creating many quality chances, averaging two shots on goal and 0.9 Expected Goals per match.
The start of the spring saw a clear shift; there were more opportunities, illustrated by the side averaging 2.0 Expected Goals per game, and the team could have had a few more comfortable wins or picked up more points if it had put away that second or third goal.
It wasn’t until the Lexington match on March 23 that we saw a huge breakthrough for the Ascent. Four goals were the most in a match for the team, all of which came from patiently creating in the final third or pouncing on Lexington’s defensive mistakes. The confidence carried over to the 3-0 win against Dallas, the first time Carolina beat Trinity this season. Six different players have scored for Carolina this spring, and the team’s versatility in scoring has made it one of the best offenses over the last two months.
Corbin and Harding
Two keys to that offense improvement have been Mia Corbin and Audrey Harding. Both players were named to the Team of the Month for March, with Corbin honored as the Player of the Month. Carolina would not have seen the success it did had it not been for this duo.
Corbin is now tied with Golden Boot leaders Dallas’ Allie Thornton and Fort Lauderdale’s Addie McCain on nine goals this season; six of Corbin’s goals have come since the return from the winter break. Whether it’s on a volley, winning possession off her defender or holding her runs so that she can play into space, Corbin does everything right to where her goals look easy.
Harding, who was injured at the end of the fall, has returned with a vengeance. She recorded a brace against Lexington, her first goals of the season, and had three more assists in March alone. She is the ultimate playmaker for the team, boasting incredible technical skills to beat defenders and control the left flank.
The more reps Harding and Corbin have together, the more likely they are to become the most dynamic and threatening midfielder pairing in the league.
New signings
Carolina’s defense has always been impressive. Even when the team wasn’t producing much on the offensive end, its strong defending was what earned it points in multiple draws in the fall. However, the team’s new additions during the winter break made its defense even better.
It’s not surprising that center back Jenna Butler has fit so seamlessly into Carolina’s defensive unit, as she had previous experience competing with multiple Ascent players. However, the 25-year-old ranks second this spring among all defenders in clearances (46) and is averaging 81% passing accuracy. She’s also a threat inside the box, which we saw when she headed in her first goal of the season against Spokane.
There was also a goalkeeper swap after Carolina brought in UNC alum Samantha Leshnak Murphy. While Meagan McClelland had been leading the league in various statistical categories, Leshnak Murphy has shown herself to be aggressive and confident in goal, most recently leading the team to back-to-back shutouts.
If Carolina keeps up the solid defensive performances paired with the uptick in efficiency in front of goal, the team might hold on to this No. 1 spot through to the postseason.