Charlotte Eagles 2012 Season Recap
September 18, 2012 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charlotte Eagles News Release
The 2012 Charlotte Eagles season has come to a close and the Eagles would like to thank all of their fans, supporters and sponsors who helped make the 20th anniversary year a memorable one.
The Eagles enjoyed their deepest US Open Cup run in their history this year, thanks in large part to the stellar goalkeeping of Charlotte native Clint Irwin. They made it as far as the quarterfinals where they lost to MLS side Chivas USA on a stoppage time heartbreaker.
The Eagles also narrowly missed out on the playoffs this year, finishing in 7th place after falling to Wilmington in the last game of the season. The Hammerheads would go on and eventually fall to the Charleston Battery 1-0 in the USL PRO National Championship game on September 8, 2012.
Captain Josh Rife was named USL PRO All League First Team. Goalkeeper Eric Reed led the team with 9 wins and 7 shutouts on the year. His win total had him 6th and his shutout total had him 5th in the league overall. Darryl Roberts was the Eagles leading scorer this year with 6 goals in 17 games, which had him tied for 8th in the league. Jorge Herrera was 2nd on the team with 5 goals, while Chris Salvaggione, Mauricio Salles and Nate Thornton all finished tied for 3rd with 3 goals on the year.
Mauricio Salles also finished 4th in the league in assists, registering 4 on the campaign. Nate Thornton was also the leading scorer for the Eagles in the US Open Cup tournament with 3 goals, placing him in a tie for 5th for the Cup overall.
The Charlotte Lady Eagles won the USL W-League Southeast division title this year and were Eastern Conference runner-ups to the DC United Women, the Ottawa Fury would go on to win the 2012 USL W-League National Championship title. The Lady Eagles were led in scoring by Leah Fortune and Amanda Naeher who both totaled 6 goals a piece, which also had them tied for 9th place overall in the league. The division title was the Eagles' first since 2006 when they won the Atlantic Division title.
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United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 18, 2012
- Charlotte Eagles 2012 Season Recap - Charlotte Eagles
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