Ascent’s Hylton, Burge called up to international teams 

CAROLINA ASCENT

B Hylton, 18, is in England's U-20 national team camp for a tuneup to the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

Two Carolina Ascent players have been called up for U-20 national team duty and will play each other on Nov. 29 in Spain. 

Goalkeeper Charlotte Burge will be with the U.S. squad while B Hylton will represent England in the match, which will be played in San Pedro del Pinatar on the southeastern coast of Spain.

The event is a tune-up for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which will take place in Poland Sept. 5-27.

Now in her second year with the Ascent, Burge, 19, is still the youngest professional goalkeeper in the country. With Meagan McClelland and Samantha Leshnak-Murphy in front of her last season, and McClelland and Sydney Martinez this year, Burge has spent more time in the nets with the US Soccer teams. She had a previous call-up with the U19 team.

“Since I’m a younger player in this (professional) environment, going to the national team gives me an opportunity to play with girls my age,” she said. “In a playing aspect, it’s more of an immature level, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the level is dropped. It’s just it’s more similar to what I was used to before I came here. The speed of play (with the Ascent) is definitely faster. Being in this environment helps me go to the national team.”

Burge’s decision to go pro rather than spend time in the college ranks was solidified from the three months she spent in Germany with 1.FFC Kaiserslautern in 2023. Burge said there was a different kind of intensity in what she experienced.

CAROLINA ASCENT

Charlotte Burge, 19, the youngest professional goalkeeper in the United States, was called up to the national U-20 team.

“I think they just maximize what they have,” she said. “The girls made soccer their entire life, like they were planning to play pro. If they didn’t play pro, they had to go to work, and that’s just not what you want to do over there. I think everyone over there is more passionate about it than we are here, especially at the youth level. Soccer is really all they have to look forward to during the day, because they don’t enjoy going to school.”

Only two goalkeepers were listed on the roster announced by US Soccer last week. The other is Kealey Titmuss, who plays at Penn State.

“Charlotte is a high-potential young player who is going to have a long career ahead of her,” Ascent coach Philip Poole said. “We have been deliberate in identifying elite young players who we see have the potential to achieve great things.

Hylton also went straight into the professional ranks as the first Ascent academy signing to sign a contract. She became the youngest goal scorer in the team’s brief history last April with a strike against Brooklyn FC. She’s played in six matches so far this season.

For Hylton, 18, it’s her second time with the England youth squad after previously joining the U-19s in November 2024.

Though born and raised in Charlotte, Hylton is eligible for the English team through her father Andy, who is from Essex, England, and played for the Charlotte Eagles. 

Hylton went straight into the starting lineup in her first game, which was a qualifying match against Turkey for the 2025 UEFA Women’s U19 tournament. She was the only non-England-based athlete on the 20-player squad. 

“I’ve definitely made quite a few friends on that team,” Hylton said. “Princess (Ademiluyi) is playing down at Fort Lauderdale, so I got to see her a week or so ago, and that was fun. Looking forward to reconnecting with everybody. Each camp is always going to be different, new people, new opponents, but then, we still have the same values, and we’re still chasing the same goals.” 

Is there more pressure being with a national team? 

“Yes,” Hylton said. “There's always a step up. You're representing an entire country at that point. But I mean, also no in a sense, because really, my job is to do everything in my power to help the team win.”

“B has made massive strides this fall,” said Poole. “We are extremely proud of her and recognize how much work she puts in every day. Young players develop at different rates and don’t always follow a linear path toward becoming a finished product.

“B is clearly in a period of rapid progress. Any time a young player has the opportunity to represent their national team, we are in full support. Playing for England again will be another important step in her development.”

Two other Gainbridge Super League players are on the U.S. team as well. Forward Sealey Strawn of Dallas Trinity FC, who has committed to play at North Carolina, was named the 2024-25 USL Super League Young Player of the Year. Midfielder Ashlyn Puerta has scored nine goals for Sporting Club Jacksonville this season.

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