Preseason Outlook
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s women’s soccer program is entering the 2026 season with a sense of momentum after a standout 2025 campaign that delivered a ten‑win record and the program’s highest conference seed since 2013.
Senior forward Evie Craven, a native of Manchester, England, has been named a Preseason Player to Watch by the American Conference, a nod to her back‑to‑back success that earned her Second Team All‑Conference honors in 2025 after she posted a career‑high 12 points, including five goals and two assists.
In goal, Harlee Head, a fifth‑year goalkeeper from Castle Rock, Colorado, returns after setting career highs across the board last year — four shutouts, a 1.20 goals‑against average, 69 saves and a .767 save percentage — performances that also earned her two weekly Goalkeeper of the Week selections and a Third Team All‑Conference nod.
Defender Rachel Logue, a fifth‑year player from Oak Hills, California, anchored a back line that recorded four clean sheets, and she even broke through for her first collegiate goal in a 2‑0 win over UNCW on August 14, a highlight that preceded her recognition as Defensive Player of the Week after a 1‑0 road victory over ECU on October 31.
The American Conference’s preseason poll projects the 49ers to finish sixth in the upcoming schedule, but the team is aiming to improve on its 2025 run and to translate the No. 2 seed earned under first‑year head coach Sinead Byrne into a deeper postseason push; the season opener is slated for August 13 at home against Furman at Jen Gaber Field, kickoff set for 7:00 p.m.
Fans who want to experience every moment can purchase a 49er Gold Card, which provides access to all 49er men’s and women’s soccer matches as well as volleyball, while single‑game tickets are available through the athletics website; for more information, contact niner@charlotte.edu or call 704‑687‑4949.