USL League One News

#30 Adrian Zendejas records team’s second clean sheet of the season

OMAHA, N.E. (July 1, 2022) – The Charlotte Independence earned a 0-0 tie on the road against Union Omaha on Friday, July 1 at Werner Park. The Jacks will play the Richmond Kickers next on Friday, July 8 at 7 PM at American Legion Memorial Stadium.

“I think the guys had to fight to earn the point. It was a very tough trip but I thought they managed it well,” Charlotte Independence head coach Mike Jeffries said. “I’m really proud of them for hanging in especially when we went down a man.” 

It started incredibly even in Omaha with neither team creating many chances on offense. #11 Tresor Mbuyu almost bested the Union Omaha goalkeeper in the 23rd minute with a chip off a long ball from #5 Shalom Dutey, but the Jacks were left still searching for an opening goal.

Mbuyu later connected with a long ball from #6 Omar Ciss in the 40th minute but was quickly swarmed by Omaha defenders.

The scoreline was tied at halftime: Charlotte Independence 0 – Union Omaha 0

Another long ball was almost the difference for the Jacks in the 53rd minute. This time, it was #17 Clay Dimick finding #18 Illia Shevtsov whose header landed just beyond the right post.

“A shut-out on the road is always a big positive. This result shows the fight and togetherness of the group, even with a red card we still found a way to keep the clean sheet,” defender #17 Clay Dimick said. “It’s definitely a night we can be proud of and use as momentum going into a big game at home on Friday.”

Not long after entering as a substitute, #90 Khori Bennett tested the Union Omaha defense with a half-volley that sailed just over the crossbar. #2 Koa Santos also made a huge impact, coming off the bench and serving multiple crosses into the penalty area.

Goalkeeper #30 Adrian Zendejas was forced to make multiple saves in the second half but handled them easily to record his second clean sheet of the season.

“It was a tough few days of travel and to come on the road to Omaha and get a clean sheet is hugely important for us and our confidence moving forward,” defender #15 Carson Talboys said. “We got stuck in defensively when we needed to and won our battles. I’m proud of everyone that stepped on the pitch tonight and contributed.”

The Independence were left playing with 10 men for the final stretch of the game after #24 Grayson Barber received a red card in the 83rd minute. It was a strong team effort to earn the tie on the road.

“Today was a hard game, physically, and with the travel, I think the guys are going to feel it next week,” Jeffries said. “So, I think it’s important to recover well and then we’ll start preparing for Richmond.” 

NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE: The Charlotte Independence will face the Richmond Kickers on Friday, July 8 at 7 PM back home at American Legion Memorial Stadium for the club’s Military Appreciation Night. Fans can purchase tickets here.

Goalkeeper recorded six clean sheets with the Jacks in 2021

CHARLOTTE N.C. (June 30, 2022) – The Charlotte Independence announced today that the club
has re-signed goalkeeper Austin Pack for the 2022 season, pending league and federation
approval. Pack re-joins the Jacks after about six months with Hartford Athletic in the USL
Championship. Pack was a key player in Charlotte’s 2021 roster who helped lead the team to its
first-ever playoff win recording 51 saves and six clean sheets on the season.

“We are delighted to announce the return of Austin Pack to the Independence,” stated Charlotte
Independence Head Coach, Mike Jeffries. “His return bolsters our goalkeeping corps moving
forward. Austin returns to us off an excellent 2021 season in which he showcased his shot
stopping abilities. With his experience, Austin also brings a good ability to both read the game
and organize the back group in front of him.”

Pack made five appearances for Hartford Athletic in 2022. He tallied 11 saves and posted a 1.81
GAA.

Before joining the Independence in 2020, Pack also spent time in the USL Championship with
Portland Timbers 2. In 2018, he appeared in two matches for the Timbers and made two saves. In
2019, he played with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and made three saves across seven appearances.

Pack played collegiate soccer for the Charlotte 49ers between 2012-2015. He appeared in net for
45 matches while making 108 saves. Pack helped lead the team to a Regular Season Title, a
Conference USA Championship and three NCAA tournament appearance.

“I’m very grateful to be returning to the club,” stated Pack. “Charlotte is a second home to me,
and I’m excited to be back for a third year with the Independence.”

The Charlotte Independence take on Union Omaha at Werner Park in Papillion, Nebraska this
Friday, July 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the livestream for free at bahakelsports.com.

Goals scored by #11 Tresor Mbuyu (9’), #56 Gabriel Obertan (22’), #18 Illia Shevtsov (28’), #6 Omar Ciss (58’), #15 Carson Talboys (69’),  #90 Khori Bennett (90’)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 26, 2022) – The Charlotte Independence returned home in thrilling fashion as the Jacks beat Forward Madison 6-2 on Sunday, June 26th at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Next on the schedule is a trip to Union Omaha on Friday, July 1 at 8:00 PM.

“It was a hard road trip for us, obviously a good response from the team after Wednesday’s debacle,” Head Coach, Mike Jeffries said. “I’m proud of them for that, for coming straight into it and bringing a winning mentality into the game.” 

It was a record-breaking night for the Jacks as six goals set a new club record for the most scored in a single game. #6 Omar Ciss and #15 Carson Talboys scored their first professional goals, #18 Illia Shevtsov scored his first goal for the Independence, and #56 Gabriel Obertan scored his first of the 2022 season. All six goals were scored by different players. 

The Independence started the game fully on the attack. In the second minute, Ciss launched a deep ball over the Madison defense to Shevtsov who almost beat the goalkeeper. Not long after, Obertan’s cross found #27 Jefferson Amaya who earned the first of four corner kicks in quick succession for the Jacks. Shevtsov, Obertan, and Amaya all made their first start of the season for Charlotte.

#11 Tresor Mbuyu opened the scoring as he pressured the Madison goalkeeper, blocking the clearance to set up his sixth goal of the season.

The lead doubled through a brilliant strike by Obertan in the 22nd minute. Ciss quickly took a free kick near midfield, passing it to the Frenchman whose shot from the top of the penalty area soared over the goalkeeper. 

“It just feels good, especially because of the last few games because I knew what I could do for this team,” Obertan said. “It just feels good to have the morale and confidence up because it’s not been easy, but we’re right in the mix and it felt good.” 

Obertan notched the assist on the Jacks’ third goal of the night as his cross found Shevtsov who headed it in the back of the net.

“I don’t even remember when I scored my last goal. So, I’m super happy it came in a home game, happy to help the team win because of the streak of four losses. So, it was super important to score to help our team,” Shevtsov said. “I think it was a top game for our fans, with a lot of goals, a lot of combinations, skills and shots. I’m very appreciative of our fans for the support. I’m really appreciative of the team and the coaching staff. We finally won because we didn’t lose our mentality. We kept pushing, kept moving and I think that’s why we have a positive result today.” 

Forward Madison FC got one back in the 37th minute with a shot by #9 Jeremiah Streng.

The Jacks carried the lead into halftime: Charlotte Independence 3 – Forward Madison FC 1.

The pressure from Ciss paid off in the second half as he added to the scoresheet with a beautiful shot by way of a pass from Mbuyu. 

Forward Madison FC cut into the lead again in the 64th minute with a goal by #11 Rojay Smith.

Centerback #15 Carson Talboys utilized his height to direct a header off a corner kick by #7 Miguel Ibarra into the back of the net.

“It’s nice to get a set piece goal, we’ve had a couple the last couple of games,” Jeffries said. “The service was really good from Miguel Ibarra, and the timing from Carson was good. It was good for Carson, he has worked hard and it’s nice for him.”

Substitute #90 Khori Bennett notched the final goal in the 90th minute. #24 Grayson Barber stole the ball at midfield, dribbled down the right side, and sent a cross into the penalty area where Bennett was waiting to slot it home for his second goal of the season.

Final from American Legion Memorial Stadium: Charlotte Independence 6 – Forward Madison FC 2.

NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE: The Charlotte Independence travel to face Union Omaha on Friday, July 1 at 8:00 PM. Fans can watch the game live on bahakelsports.com. 

Defender #3 Hector Acosta scored his first goal of the season

CHATTANOOGA, T.N. (June 22, 2022) – The Charlotte Independence finished off their five-game road trip in Chattanooga, T.N. tonight falling to the Red Wolves 1-7 at CHI Memorial Stadium. Defender #3 Hector Acosta scored his first goal of the season. The Jacks make their return to American Legion Memorial Stadium to take on Forward Madison FC on Sunday, June 26 at 6:00 p.m. 

“We conceded a lot of soft goals and obviously we ended up down 3-1 at half and chased the game. They ended up scoring just on counters but we just weren’t tuned in,” Charlotte Independence head coach Mike Jeffries said. “The scoreline is obviously incredibly disappointing but I think what’s very frustrating is we managed to score first, we managed to start the game well at a pretty good level.” 

Charlotte started on the attack early with shots inside Chattanooga’s box from both #11 Tresor Mbuyu and #24 Grayson Barber. The Jacks continued to press finding success down the left flank with #16 Tomas Maya getting involved in the final third. The Jacks earned their first corner kick of the game in the 20th minute which led the team to earn their first goal in the month of June. 

It was #90 Khori Bennett who forced the save from the Red Wolves goalkeeper and the Jacks took advantage. #3 Hector Acosta buried the header into the back of the net for his first USL League One goal. He was assisted off the service by #7 Miguel Ibarra. 

“I really feel very happy for my first goal of the season,” stated Acosta. “It is an incredible feeling to score a goal outside your country, and I owe all that to the hard work every day. This weekend we have an important game at home. We’ll try to turn the page quickly and focus on the upcoming competition.”

The Red Wolves struck back quickly with three goals in 15 minutes, two coming from #19 Juan Galindrez. One came from the penalty spot after #6 Omar Ciss was called for a handball in the box. 

The penalty kick was the final goal of the first half: Charlotte Independence 1 – Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 3. 

Jeffries brought in multiple players off the bench in the second half with hopes of sparking some action up top including #56 Gabriel Obertan who made his USL League One debut and #18 Illia Shevtsov, the Ukrainian striker who continues to get in good minutes for the club. 

“Glad to have [Obertan] on the field, glad to have him a part of the group,” Jeffries said. “You can see the class in some of the plays that he made. Obviously, it takes time to get to full match fitness, but it was a good starting point for sure and I think he’ll make a big difference in our group.” 

The Red Wolves scored their first goal of the second half in the 54th minute to make it four goals. The hosts scored three more in the second half to increase the count to seven before the final whistle. 

Final in Chattanooga: Charlotte Independence 1 – Chattanooga Red Wolves 7. 

“There is nothing better than returning home after a long stretch on the road,” defender #17 Clay Dimick said. “We can’t wait to see our fans Sunday and win at home.”

NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE: The Charlotte Independence return home to take on Forward Madison FC on Sunday, June 26 at 6:00 PM for Men’s Health Night presented by Novant Health. Click here for tickets.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 21, 2022) – The Charlotte Independence announced today a schedule change with Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC. The away match originally scheduled for Saturday, July 16 will now be played on Sunday, July 17 at Colorado State University’s Canvas Stadium. First kick is still scheduled for 7:00 PM MT/9:00 PM ET.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE UPDATED SCHEDULE

All Charlotte Independence away matches can be live streamed for free on bahakelsports.com or on local antenna TV’s WCCB Charlotte Channel 18.5. Visit our website for details.

Jacks partner with Folds of Honor to help provide scholarships to children of fallen and disabled service members.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 20, 2022) – The Charlotte Independence today unveiled the design for the club’s 2022 Military Appreciation Night jerseys. The game-worn red, white, and blue kits will be autographed by the USL League One professional players and sold to the public for a fixed price. Jerseys are on sale now at shopcharlotteindependence.com. Proceeds from the campaign will be donated to Folds of Honor to help provide scholarships to local spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service members.

“As we approach Independence Day, we are reminded again of the daily sacrifices, past, present and future, that the members of our armed forces and their families endure,” stated Charlotte Independence President and COO, Tim Schuldt. “These special kits and our competitive spirit on the pitch are all a salute to those who serve. It’s with tremendous thanks for the freedoms we all enjoy, that are memorialized in our nation’s founding documents, that we host the Military Appreciation Night.”

The patriotic jerseys will be worn on Friday, July 8 during Military Appreciation Night presented by Famous Toastery. The Charlotte Independence invites all active and retired service members to attend the match for a special evening that recognizes and honors their sacrifice for this great country. The family-friendly event will also feature a 50/50 raffle for fans benefitting Operation Wake Surf. 

“This is our second year working with the Charlotte Independence and it’s a special night for our local veterans,” stated R. David Nein, President of the Western Carolina Chapter for Folds of Honor. “Last year, with the assistance from terrific partners like the Charlotte Independence, we were able to award 80 local scholarships and over $400,000.00 to the spouses and children of those who have served.”

Folds of Honor is dedicated to ensuring that families who’ve sacrificed so much for our country receive the education and opportunities they deserve. Whether it’s K-12th grade or higher education, they believe the cost of pursuing academic dreams should not be an additional burden. The organization has donated 35,000 scholarships since 2007 and 6,500 of those were awarded between 2021-2022. 

Tickets for Military Appreciation Night start at $7 (additional fees apply at checkout) and are on sale now at charlotteindependence.com.

Camino Expands Strategic Partnership as Presenting Sponsor

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 20, 2022) – Buenas Nuevas Network and the Charlotte Independence today announced a new multi-year strategic broadcast agreement that makes Buenas Nuevas Charlotte, WHVN 1240 AM, the new Spanish language, flagship radio station for the Independence Spanish Radio Network and the new home for Charlotte Independence Spanish radio broadcasts in the Queen City and surrounding region.

“We’re excited to partner with the Charlotte Independence and bring these games to the thriving and growing Latino community in Charlotte and the surrounding region,” stated National Director for the Buenas Nuevas Network, Tony Calatayud. “Our Spanish speaking audience loves all things soccer, and we’re excited to bring them all the live action of men’s professional soccer, each and every home game starting this Sunday!”

WHVN 1240 AM will produce and broadcast all home games live from the Independence’s new home, American Legion Memorial Stadium, starting with the game this Sunday, June 26 at 6:00 PM EST. All broadcasts will be produced and made available for free, in Spanish language. The Buenas Nuevas Network will also carry the games in Winston Salem and other North Carolina regional markets, allowing the USL League 1 professional men’s team to reach, cultivate and grow new fans.

“This has been a work in progress for a while, and we are thrilled that it has come to fruition. This Spanish language broadcast partnership is consistent with our strategy to grow our fan base within the Latino community as well as keep our promise to keep our games accessible for all fans of the Charlotte Independence,” stated team President and Chief Operating Officer, Tim Schuldt. “We’re thankful for our friends and partners at Buenas Nuevas Network and Camino and for their shared values and vision!”

The broadcasts are part of a triangulated strategic partnership with the Independence, Buenas Nuevas and the Camino Church. Camino has agreed to be the presenting sponsor of the broadcasts and will use the live game broadcasts to promote its vast array of services to the Latino community that are available throughout Charlotte and North Carolina.

“These radio broadcasts are an excellent way for us to reach out to our Latino brothers and sisters and bring them the sport they love and also educate them about the services we have to assist them in North Carolina,” stated Rusty Price, Lead Pastor of Camino. “We look forward to leveraging this partnership to help the Latino community by equipping them to live healthy, hopeful and productive lives!”

ABOUT BUENAS NUEVAS NETWORK:

The Buenas Nuevas Network is one of the nation’s leading Spanish language radio networks serving the Latino market. With multiple AM and FM stations in Charlotte, Winston, Salem, Raleigh, Durham, Boston, Jacksonville, Memphis, and Albuquerque the Network reaches millions of Spanish speaking consumers on a daily basis in many of the leading markets in the United States. The Charlotte station is WHVN and can be found on the 1240 AM position.  

ABOUT CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE:

The Charlotte Independence professional soccer team joined the United Soccer League (USL) Championship as an expansion team in September 2014. An ownership group led by Jim McPhilliamy, the President & Managing Partner of Major League Lacrosse’s Charlotte Hounds, acquired the USL franchise rights from the Charlotte Eagles. McPhilliamy and his investment group founded Queen City Sports Club with the goal of making Charlotte a better place to live through annual increases in both the quality and quantity of events that are provided for the community.

In the fall of 2018, Queen City Sports Club and the Charlotte Independence signed a 10-year lease to move to American Legion Memorial Stadium following a revitalization of the historic landmark set for the spring of 2021. The Independence is focused on building the profile of the club through culture, community and performance as the team moves to American Legion Memorial Stadium. For details on 2021 Season Memberships, visit www.charlotteindependence.com. 

Social: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Jacks finish five-game road trip this Wednesday, July 22

CARY, N.C. (June 18, 2022) – The Charlotte Independence fell to North Carolina FC 0-2 on the road tonight at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. The Jacks will finish their five-game road trip on Wednesday, July 22 at 7:30 PM against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC.

“We’ll come back tonight, guys will spend the weekend on their own, Monday we train, Tuesday we train and travel and Wednesday we play,” Jeffries said. “So, this is a tough week for us, and this is obviously a tough road stretch for us. We need to end it on a positive note, and it’s important for us to go into Chattanooga with a good mentality and be ready to play.”  

Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the first half, but the Jacks created multiple chances recording seven shots. An early save by goalkeeper #35 Dane Jacomen and a hard press on the attack led by #13 Chris Hegardt made things very difficult for NCFC in the first forty-five minutes. The Jacks forced the home side to commit 15 fouls in the first half compared to the Independence’s six. 

“I thought we played well in terms of possession. I thought we moved the ball pretty well and put ourselves in good spots, but in the end we didn’t make enough really good chances out of it,” Charlotte Independence Head Coach, Mike Jeffries said. “We didn’t do enough today in the final third to impact the game. I actually thought over the course of the first 60 minutes before the goal, I thought we actually pushed the game and had the better run of play and half-chances.” 

The match stayed scoreless heading into the second half: Charlotte Independence 0 – North Carolina FC 0. 

Midfielder #19 Quinn McNeill put the Jacks’ first shot on frame in the 55th minute when the Independence earned a corner kick early in the second half. The ball bounced around the box and eventually fell to McNeill who, just outside the box, put the shot on frame but it was saved. 

“It was good to get back out and play again. Unfortunately, the result didn’t go our way,” McNeill said. “It’s a quick turnaround, so we’ll move forward and look to get points at Chattanooga on Wednesday.” 

The Jacks made their first substitution of the night in the 61st minute. McNeill exited the field to make way for midfielder #7 Miguel Ibarra. 

NCFC scored the first goal of the game in the 63rd minute to take the 1-0 lead. #16 Nicolas Molina tapped in the shot from inside the box off an assist from #19 Garrett McLaughlin. 

Charlotte continued to make changes to level the match, bringing on #9 Ivan Luquetta and #24 Grayson Barber into the game in place of #13 Chris Hegardt and #90 Khori Bennett in the 66th minute. 

North Carolina FC doubled its lead in the 88th minute off a penalty kick to take a 2-0 lead. #5 Shalom Dutey conceded a penalty kick for his first yellow card of the game, and was later sent off with a second yellow card to bring the Jacks down to 10 players. 

“It’s obviously frustrating the dip in form that we are in, but we believe in the group we have,” defender #17 Clay Dimick said. “We will stick together and get back to work to fight our way back to winning ways.”

That was the final action from the match. Charlotte Independence 0 – North Carolina FC 2. 

NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE: The Jacks finish their five-game road trip in a midweek meeting with the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC on Wednesday, July 22 at 7:30 PM. 

CHARLOTTE N.C. (June 17, 2022) – The Charlotte Independence announced today that the club has acquired goalkeeper Dane Jacomen on a short-term loan from Loudon United FC in the USL Championship. Jacomen recently concluded his collegiate career at the University of Pennsylvania, forgoing his senior season, to begin playing professionally. 

The Pittsburgh native played in USL League Two with West Chester United SC and won the 2021 Golden Glove Award. He allowed five goals in 13 games while making 38 saves. He helped his side win the Mid Atlantic Division and advance to the Conference Finals in the 2021 USL League Two Playoffs. 

Before college, Jacomen earned a spot with DC United’s Academy and participated in training camp with the first team in 2018. He played youth club soccer with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. 

In 2019, Jacomen made his college debut with Penn and was named both a Philadelphia Soccer Six All-Star and a Soccer Six All-Rookie. He made 14 starts for the Quakers, allowed just six goals and earned a 0.80 goals against average. 

In his 2021 college season, Jacomen appeared in 10 games, made nine starts and recorded 47 saves as the primary goalkeeper for Penn.
The next match for the Charlotte Independence is this Saturday, June 18 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. The Jacks take on North Carolina FC at 7:00 p.m. ET. Fans can live stream the match for free at bahakelsports.com.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 17, 2022) – The Charlotte Independence announced today that the club has acquired midfielder Chris Hegardt on a short-term loan from Charlotte FC, pending league and federation approval. The Independence are on the road this weekend for a USL League One match on Saturday, June 18 against North Carolina FC. 

Hegardt was signed by Charlotte FC ahead of the club’s inaugural season and has made two appearances in 2022. 

Hegardt was a four-year starter with the Seattle Sounders Academy, helping his U-17 team become the first MLS team to ever win the Generation Adidas Cup in 2019. 

On August 9, 2019, Hegardt made his professional debut for the Tacoma Defiance in the USL Championship. He went on to appear in 17 matches and scored one goal for the Defiance. 

In college, Hegardt played with the Georgetown Hoyas and scored three goals in 31 matches across two seasons. In 2021, he helped Georgetown win the Big East Championship. 

The next match for the Charlotte Independence is this Saturday, June 18 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina to take on North Carolina FC. Fans can live stream the match for free at bahakelsports.com.