Carolina Ascent advance to GSL final, by (Mackenzie) George

CAROLINA ASCENT

Mackenzie George's first goal of the spring propelled Carolina Ascent past Sporting JAX 1-0 in the Gainbridge Super League semifinal. They play Lexington SC May 30 in the final.

She came in like a wrecking ball. 

After taking the ball off the feet of two Sporting Jacksonville players on the right touchline near midfield after a Carolina Ascent throw-in, Mackenzie George accelerated towards the Jax goal. She ran right at defender Georgia Brown, forcing her to commit.

A few steps into the penalty area, George played the ball to Riley Parker, who matched her sprint further out on the right. Parker, who also beat Brown, let the ball run towards the endline before cutting back to the top of the 6-yard box with one pedicured touch.

Still crashing the goal, George smashed the orb into the net with her right foot five minutes and 19 seconds into the match for a 1-0 win in the Gainbridge Super League semifinal. 

The two teams had met just a week earlier in Charlotte for the final regular season match. Jacksonville scored less than seven minutes in to take the early lead, only to see the Ascent come back with three goals, which effectively knocked the Florida side into second place, setting up the semifinal rematch.

Jacksonville were at home. They were angry about losing out on the Players’ Shield and were down a goal. Surely, a team with three double-figure scorers and  put a league record 54 goals into the net over 28 matches would find their way back with 84 minutes to play.

They controlled possession 58% of the game, took six more shots than Carolina (16-10), put more on target (7-4), and won nine corner kicks to four for the Ascent. But there would be no comeback for the first-year club, which had come out of the gate fast with a young and talented team.

“It means a lot, especially since I hadn’t scored all spring,” George said.” The way the goal happened with Parker made it even more special. To have it come in a game like this and then for the team to battle and hold them off for another 84 minutes feels incredible. It was a total team effort.”

Carolina set the tone with their pressure and gang tackling to start the match, and their resolute defense won the day. The Ascent were far superior on that side of the ball, winning 57% of duels on the ground and 63% in the air.

When needed, goalkeeper Sydney Martinez was there to make the save.

“I thought today was a battle,” Ascent  coach Philip Poole said. “It was great to score early in such a back-and-forth game. There were moments where I thought we were going to find a second goal, and moments where it felt like they might grab the equalizer. But overall, it was a strong performance and a hard-fought win.”

With the victory, the Ascent improve where they fell short last season after being upset in the semifinal by fourth seed Fort Lauderdale after earning the Players’ Shield in GSL’s inaugural campaign. The victory was the seventh straight for the Ascent and 11th in the last 12 games, eclipsing the 11-game undefeated streak they began the previous season with.

They play Lexington SC in the championship final Saturday. 

We see you

George scored only four times this season, three of which came against Sporting. Along with the game-winner on Sunday, she netted twice in a 4-3 loss to Jacksonville in Charlotte in September. She also had just two assists on her season stat line, but George’s body of work was recognized with a second-team All-League honor, announced by the GSL on Tuesday. 

Coming to Charlotte from Brooklyn FC during the offseason along with goalkeeper Martinez and forward Luana Grabias, George’s intensity and persistence meshed perfectly with the attitude and ethic of her teammates and made her a major pain in the backfield of every opposing team.

Endurance-wise, she’s started 27 of the 29 games and is third in minutes played (2,422) behind Jenna Butler and Jill Aguilera.

“Mackenzie has been a great signing for us,” said Poole. “From the moment she arrived from Brooklyn, she’s been a positive influence in the locker room and within the team. We’ve been so happy with the level she’s shown throughout the season. She’s such a tough matchup for opposing teams because of how competitive she is. So much of Mackenzie’s work can go unnoticed, but she’s been sensational for us all year. I’m really glad she’s getting this recognition.”

But wait, there’s more

Also honored by the league were Ascent defenders Jill Aguilera and Sydney Studer, who were named to the All-League first team. It is the second straight recognition for both of them. 
Aguilera, who also starred for Puerto Rico in CONCACAF national team play this year, originally came to the Ascent as an attacker and played on the wing for her first few games before Poole moved her to the left outside back position. A team player, she accepted the challenge and proved her worth on both sides of the ball, being acclaimed as both the GSL Defender of the Year and the Playmaker of the Year for the 2024-25 season. 

“Jill has been an impact player for us since the day she walked through the door two years ago,” Poole said. “She’s a true professional, a great teammate, and someone who brings so much to the locker room. Coming off the season she had last year — winning Defender of the Year and Playmaker of the Year — to be able to replicate that kind of form this year with goals, assists, and leadership really speaks volumes about Jill and who she is as a player and person.”

Along with her established defensive presence, Studer became an offensive weapon on set pieces this season, scoring three goals, all on headers, before being sidelined with an ACL injury that ended her season at the end of March after starting in 20 of the 21 games she played in.

“Sydney had a great season last year, and she’s built on that this season,” Poole said. “I think the biggest difference is her consistency. She’s become even more reliable defensively, while also adding goals to her game, which has really helped set her apart. Sydney absolutely deserves the honor.”

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