Carolina Ascent, Brooklyn FC Draw 0-0

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USLSL Carolina Ascent FC

Carolina Ascent, Brooklyn FC Draw 0-0

May 24, 2025 - USL Super League (USLSL)
Carolina Ascent FC News Release


CONEY ISLAND, NY - Carolina Ascent FC extended their unbeaten run to eight games Saturday afternoon, playing Brooklyn FC to a scoreless draw at Maimonides Park.

The match not only extended Carolina Ascent's sensational run of form to end the season, but dashed Brooklyn FC's hopes of making the playoffs. A strong statistic from the match - Carolina Ascent, looking to play spoiler, held a strong 59.6% possession, neutralizing Brooklyn's attack by keeping the ball.

Carolina Ascent certainly had the better start and were the stronger of the two teams for the first 35 minutes of the game.

Carolina Ascent center back #20 Jenna Butler had the first opportunity, putting just wide the scraps of a #15 Kathrynn Gonzalez set piece in the 6th minute.

The weather briefly started to worsen early in Coney Island as strong wind and rain made for a slick pitch and chilly May conditions.

Gonzalez skipped one just wide of Brooklyn goalkeeper #33 Alexa Goldberg's net in the 26th minute and three minutes later, #14 Taylor Porter lashed a strike over from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Brooklyn FC started to show more urgency in the latter stages of the first half, creating the two most dangerous chances for either team.

The first came in the 37th minute. Carolina Ascent goalkeeper #42 Samantha Leshnak Murphy made a sensational reaction save to a #24 Kelsey Hill header, stopping it right on the goal line.

Two minutes later, the second chance followed. Leshnak Murphy breathed a sigh of relief when she was nearly caught off her line. Brooklyn's #3 Samantha Kroeger, noticing Leshnak Murphy out of her net, fired for goal from just past midfield and rippled the outside of the net.

A scoreless first half made for a dire 45 minutes for Brooklyn FC to save their season.

Carolina Ascent, with no pressure and playoffs in the future, subbed in goalkeeper #1 Meagan McClelland at halftime. McClelland was thrown into the fire right away.

Two minutes into the second half, Brooklyn's #19 Mackenzie Pluck fired away from 25 yards out and struck the crossbar above McClelland's outstretched gloves.

After more early pressure from the hosts, Carolina Ascent pushed back with a solid spell of possession, taking more sting out of the game for the desperate Brooklyn side.

Brooklyn's best opportunity of the second half came in the 72nd minute. #31 Mackenzie George pulled off an excellent turn, but she was denied by a charging McClelland, who did well to cut off the angle and keep it scoreless.

Brooklyn's #14 Caroline Kelly had another great opportunity to out the home side on the scoreboard at the back post off a corner kick in the 76th minute, but she couldn't it below the crossbar.

Carolina Ascent substitutes #5 Jaydah Bedoya, #19 Ashlynn Serepca, and #10 Rylee Baisden provided strong hold-up play and possession inside the Brooklyn third in the final 15 minutes, not allowing Brooklyn to any more grade-A chances.

In the end, the score finished 0-0, leaving Brooklyn eliminated from the playoffs and giving Carolina Ascent another point to add to their Players' Shield-winning campaign.

QUOTES:

Head Coach Philip Poole on the combined shutout for his two goalkeepers:

"I think we have two of the best goal keepers in the league and we've gotten a lot of credit recently in the last few months about goals and wins, but you saw both goalkeepers come up big today. Great save by Sam in the first half and equally impressive and important saves by Meagan when the game's on the line. Our forwards often get a lot of creditm but today our goalkeepers get some credit in a good away performance."

Poole on his team neutralizing Brooklyn:

"I think, in particular in the first half, we were very dominant in possession. And Brooklyn are a good team, got some good individual defenders. So we knew we were going to have to possess the ball and create opportunities. I think overall 60/40 in possession is a positive number...We knew that Brooklyn would have to gamble, they'd have to roll the dice a little bit, and we knew would have to stand up and we did."



USL Super League Stories from May 24, 2025


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