Carolina Ascent: Better finish, but still short of summit

CAROLINA ASCENT

Carolina Ascent shook off a poor start to the season to finish second in the USL Super League after a 3-1 loss to Lexington SC in the final.

Carolina Ascent was a step shy of the summit.

The Climbers scored first in the USL Super League final but ultimately lost  3-1 to top seed Lexington SC in extra time. Mia Corbin scored the Ascent’s goal in the first half, but Lexington equalized on McKenzie Weinert tally in the 72nd minute to force extra time. From there, finals MVP Regan Steigleder put the home team in front, followed by Addie McCain’s insurance goal.

“I think we knew it was going to be a back-and-forth game against a good opponent,” Ascent coach Philip Poole said. “Obviously, taking the lead right before halftime was great. We knew we were going to have to weather a storm in the second half, and honestly, I thought we did that. To concede the equalizing goal with about 20 minutes to go was tough.”

Carolina, the third seed, rolled into the final as Super League’s hottest club with a 12-game unbeaten streak that included 11 wins, including seven in a row. Their regular season series – a win, a loss and a draw – suggested a closely contested game. It was until Lexington broke through after regulation.

Once we got into extra time, I felt like we still had enough in us to win the game,” Poole said. “Unfortunately, they got the two goals. We knew the game was always going to be back and forth. Two of the goals we conceded were very uncharacteristic for us, which is disappointing. It was an even game for the most part, and it hurts to come out on the wrong side of it.”

Carolina’s breakthrough came just before halftime when moments later when Lily Nabet won possession in midfield and connected with Mackenzie George on a pass. George’s cross was headed clear, but Corbin settled the ball for a left-footed blast for a 1-0 advantage at intermission. Lexington, though, controlled much of the early play and held an 8-4 shot advantage before Corbin’s tally.

Carolina almost doubled its advantage in the 52nd minute on a free kick 25 yards away from Lexington goal. Jill Aguilera drove a dangerous shot on target, only to have Lexington goalkeeper Kat Asman deny her.

Lexington capitalized in the 97th minute when Regan Steigleder guided a header into the side netting for the go-ahead goal. They struck again seven minutes later when Nicole Vernis connected with Hannah White on a pass, who pushed the ball across goal for Addie McCain, whose touch bounced off goalkeeper Sydney Martinez and rolled into the empty net.

“The second goal was very uncharacteristic for us,” Poole said. “It’s not a goal that we typically concede. The third goal came after we changed our shape and pushed more players forward because we urgently needed an equalizer. There was a change in our numbers and our structure, and that’s the risk you take when you’re chasing a game. Sometimes you roll the dice and it pays off, and sometimes it doesn’t.”

After overcoming a slow start to advance to the final, the Ascent had a near-perfect close. Although they came up short, Poole applauded his team’s memorable run.

“When you look at some of the distances our players covered and the fight, grit, and determination they showed, those are all huge factors in championship games,” he said. “I couldn’t fault the effort from the group. We’ll reflect on it when the emotions settle down tomorrow and then begin the process of moving forward and preparing for next season.”

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